Team Jasper: Tournaments
by Willibaldvonsomething
Summary: Sereb started combat school at Sanctum without any friends, or any idea what she was getting into. Thankfully she met Ele, who taught her everything she knew. 7 years later, they start their adventure together. Can Sereb pay Ele back for everything he's done for her? Or will the upcoming Vytal Festival break him.
1. Prologue: Sereb

Prologue

_What am I going to do?! It's my first day! I get into Sanctum but I forget the biggest thing!_ Thought Sereb as she sat against the wall, hands over her head, pressing down on her pointed wolf ears, trying to block out the sounds of the other children as she attempted to come up with a plan. If I just tell the teacher, then I won't get in any trouble, right? But then! Everyone will know! I'll be made fun of even more! Sereb lost her self in her thoughts, small tears streaming down her face, before she noticed a voice calling out to her. "Um! Are you okay?"

Sereb looked up seeing a boy in a large white coat standing in front of her, startled by his crystal blue eyes that seemed to look straight through her. Unable to ignore him, Sereb shifted her gaze to the side, trying to ignore the deep ocean blue orbs that focused on her. "C-can I help you?" Sereb asked weakly, the attention making her a bit uncomfortable. The boy smiled a bit. "Can I sit with you?" Sereb blinked, not expecting that question, so she could only squeak out a quiet "Yes..." before realizing what she said. The boy sat down next to Sereb, careful not to get to close, and the pair sat in silence for a few minutes, Sereb praying and dreading to hear the bell ring, signalling them that they can could go inside.

After getting comfortable, the boy broke the silence, asking weird questions. "I'm Ele, what's your name?" Sereb was expecting a comment on her ears first, since she was often bullied for her faunus heritage. Sereb looked over the boy, who just smiled and waited for her response, before she finally said. "Sereb.. nice to meet you Ele... why did you want to sit with me?" Mistrust bleeding into her voice, that anyone could hear, but Ele just smiled. "Cause I thought the ears were cute, and that you were crying. Dad always told me to help a girl if she's crying! Though I couldn't really see tears.. maybe you weren't.. if not I just wanted to make a friend!" he replied, shocking young Sereb, not getting a hint from his voice whether he was lying, or making fun of her. "Is there anything I can do?" Ele continued, looking at Sereb, wondering if he broke her from her stunned expression. "Um.. are you okay Sereb?" Sereb gently shook herself back to reality, not sure what to do here with her 10 years of live experience, so she just nodded, keeping quiet.

As the silence continued, Ele tilted his head to the side, thinking. "Are you nervous? I know I am! We are going to combat school! This is great! A few years here! Then we can go to Beacon! Aegis! Or any other academy! Then we can be true hunters! Kicking Grimm monster butt!" Ele bounced gently in his seat, still getting no response from Sereb, who was thinking of a way to get rid of the boy, or at least find out if he was actually wanting to be her friend.

After listening to Ele ramble for another minute she finally spoke softly, deciding it was now or never, as she looked at the smiling raven haired boy next to her. "I am nervous.. and well.. I just.. don't.. know how to use aura" she said, mumbling the last bit, hoping Ele would hear so she wouldn't have to say it louder, if anyone else heard. Ele blinked, before scooting closer to whisper. "Did you say you don't know how to use aura? Did I hear that right?" his voice with a bit of concern in it. Sereb nodded "Haven't unlocked it.. just cause my family moves a lot, and I was accepted into Sanctum, then a whole bunch of stuff happened!" Sereb rambled on, her hands back to her ears, pulling on them in frustration, to which Ele let out a giggle, shifting back away from her to keep a respectful distance. "Well if it's just that. I can help." Ele grinned.

Sereb blinked at Ele, then blinked again. "How?" she said, suspicious. Ele smiled. "I learned from Frederick! He taught me how!... Well.. didn't really teach me, but I remember what he did! And he said it was a simple process! Give me your hands, and I'll unlock your aura." Ele smiled at Sereb, holding out his hands. Sereb looked at the hands, then looked at the smiling boy, trying to figure out the worst that could happen. Best case scenario it doesn't work, and she just talks to a teacher after class, and worst case she'd be made fun of later for not having aura, so Sereb resigned to the options placed before her, and held out her hands, to please the boy. _Actually.. best thing that could happen is I just make a new friend... don't be stupid Sereb. You are a faunus, and he's human.. this is probably just some dumb joke, that I'm dumb enough to fall for, like a big, dumb dummy._

"Ok, now just concentrate.. on something.. dunno.. Frederick explained it better.. but I know I can do this! Ok.." Ele took Sereb's hands into his own, as Sereb closed her eyes, expecting something to go wrong, someone to pull her ears, or something, but she did concentrate, hoping beyond hope that this wasn't a trick. Ele cleared his throat, as his small body began to gently glow a soft blue. "_For it is through conquest that we become a paragon, forged by strength and honor to rise above all. An oath sworn and a debt to be paid. I release your soul, and by my hand protect thee._" Ele took a breath, leaning back against the wall, looking over to see Sereb glowing a soft silver. "Looks nice on you." Ele smiled, pleased he'd been able to help. Before Sereb could say anything, lost that someone as young as her could unlock aura, the bell finally rang as teachers ushered the new students inside to their proper classrooms. Ele stood up, gently dusting off his oversized white coat, picked a stray piece of string from his midnight blue hair, before offering Sereb a hand, with a large smile. "Come on! It's our first day. Let's have some fun partner!"

* * *

7 years later

Sereb leaned against the cold marble pillar, eyes closed and a bright smile on her face that seemed to freak out the passing classmates that knew her for the past two years. _I wonder how he's been.. Does he even remember me? I know we send messages back and forth and letters but we haven't seen each other for the past two years.. what if he's changed.. Sereb don't be stupid, he hasn't changed, it's only been two years.. Exactly! It's been -two years-, he could be different. The only time we see his face is when watching the Mistral tournament Gah! Stop me, you are over-thinking things as usual. No matter what happens. Ele is Ele. No matter what people call him.. what kind of name is Tyrant anyways.. idiots..Prince would suit him much better-_ Sereb's thoughts got cut off as she heard footsteps approaching her, in a slow and confident rhythm. Sereb cracked an eyelid open, to see a pair of crystal blue eyes staring back at her, with a small smile beneath them. "Hey, good to see you partner."

** AN – First fanfic, so thought I'd jump the gun and go straight to OC characters. Hope to continue this soon, please leave reviews or suggestions on ways to improve. I won't ask for you, the internet, to be gentle, so have fun :P I hope you all enjoy reading it**


	2. Prologue: Ele

**AN: Quite a bit of fluff in this chapter, just another prologue before the fun begins. Hope you all enjoy, please leave a review to let me know how I'm doing. Have fun :P**

Prologue: Ele

Ele sat slumped in his chair, the hum of the airship quietly buzzing away any hope of a quick nap before arriving in Atlas. Ele's trip had not been a pleasant one, he'd lost 100 lien before leaving home, assaulted by a group of fellow hunters in training as he got on the airship, and the novel packed for the trip was shorter and more depressing than he expected. _What kind of sadist kills off every interesting character in the series!? I'm tired of being introduced to these characters, learning to love them, then watching them get a Grimm claw to the back!.._ He thought, as he pulled the lip of his beanie down over his eyes, to block out the light pouring through the window.

His efforts were in vain though as he heard footsteps heading in his direction. Ele sat up on the off-chance it was an attendant come to ask if he wanted anything. _Peanuts would be nice.. or chips.. why are peanuts the typical air food anyways?_ As Ele mused, lost in his own little nutty world, before someone stood next to his chair. Ele looked up, to see a boy with a smile like a banana, an elderly gentleman who nodded a polite greeting and a girl who looked like she'd just been brought along for the ride. Ele gave the girl a quick glance, she was probably his age, if maybe a bit older. _Can never tell with girls.. they could be 40 and look 25, 18 and look 12. Never have that issues with men, the rule of thumb being: The hairier they are the older they are._ Ele smiled back at the boy. "Yes? How may I help you?" Ele kept his voice polite, even though he was wishing he could just be sleeping.

"Um.. you are Ele Saphir, right?!" The boy said in a hushed yell, nervous but excited at the same time. Ele could only nod, chuckling at the boys enthusiasm. "Yes, I am. What's your name?" Ele leaned over in his chair to level his eyes with the boys. The boys response was to jump happily, turning to the elderly gentleman and his sister. "See! I told you it was him! AH!" The boy spun back around. "Sorry! I'm Jacky! I'm a fan! I saw you fight in the Vacuo tournament last year! You were so cool! Like pow pow pow, ratta tatt tatt! 'Kneel!' Boom! What are you doing in Atlas?! Is there another tournament?! Grampa can we go see it?!" The elderly man smirked and gave Jack a small smack on the back of his head. "Calm ya self boyo. Ya going to jump out of da ship at this rate." said the old man, before looking at Ele. "Sorry sonny, my grandson is a fan and has been trying ta work up the courage to speak to ya."

Ele shrugged and smiled. "It's alright, I'm always happy to talk to a fan. You have a piece of paper Jacky? I don't have any on me, and I don't think you'll wanting a copy of A Feast of Nevermore at your age.." _Stop Ele, don't cry.. Fred will live in your heart forever.._ Ele thought as he held down a single tear, before grabbing a pen out of his satchel in the chair next to him. Jacky blinked, having forgotten a piece of paper in his excitement. Jacky looked up as his grandfather who simply shrugged. "Sorry kiddo, don't got any on me. Maybe the flight attendant has some? I'll go an ask th-" The girl who'd been quiet till now sighed. "I have some in my bag.. I'll be right back, you two try not to cause trouble while I'm gone." Jacky cheered, before the old man gave him another tap to the back of his head, reminding him to be quiet.

While the girl was gone, Jacky talked to Ele bout how he was going to be a hunter one day, just like the rest of his family, while the old man just flex proudly, telling a few quick stories of his exploits to the awe and laughter of his small audience. Eventually the girl returned, handing Jacky a pad, and taking a step to the side to avoid getting hugged by her younger brother. "Thanks sis!" said Jacky, wanting to give her a hug but since she had moved away he just handed the pad to Ele. "Here you go!"

Ele took the pad and clicked open his pen. "Anything special you want?" Ele was enjoying the conversation, even if he'd originally hoped to sleep. Jacky shook his head slightly, before nodding so fast Ele worried his head would fly off. "Yes! Tag-line! The one you always say before a match! It's so cool!" Ele smirked and nodded, speaking quietly as he wrote. "To Jacky~ Always remember. A shield for the living, a blessing for the dead, and a tyrant's wrath for the unjust – Ele" Ele finished with a small crown and a smiley face before handing the pad back to Jacky. "There you go kiddo, I'm sure you'll be a great hunter one day." Ele brought a hand up, ruffling Jacky's hair before he put his pen away, making sure everything was in his satchel, with all the time that expired the ship was probably going to be landing in 10 minutes or so.

"Mr. Thomas, I will admit though. I am honored to meet you. I didn't expect to meet a teacher of a combat school on the way to one." Mr. Thomas laughed. "Flatter me boy, I'm just an old man now who be takin care of the weapons in Alcove. It be Lani, who ya should be talking ta. I know ya are strong and all, I've watched ya fights with the kiddo but I be knowin my granddaughter can give ya a run for your money!" Mr. Thomas smirked at the young man before him. "Lani, ya haven't even introduced yourself! Ya shy girl?" The girl apparently named Lani shook her head. "No.. I just thought with two children bothering him, why add in a third?" The girl looked at her grandfather and brother respectfully. "I'm sure Mr. Saphir is used to this kind of attention and is just humoring you. No offense meant." Lani nodded at Ele in apology.

Ele shrugged. "I'm used to this kind of attention yes, but it's always nice to meet new people. I thank you for the concern though Ms. Lani." Ele smirked at the trio. "Doubly so when it's a trio of hunters, one of whom I'm guessing I'll be going to school with?" Jacky blinked. "What?! You are going to school in Atlas?! When did that happen!? Do you live in Atlas?! No! I could have sworn you were from Mistral." Ele stood up, grabbing his satchel and placing the strap across his chest the airship landed. "Yes, I'm attending Aegis to finish my hunter training. I look forward to my next few years in Atlas." Ele smiled at the trio. "It has been a pleasure to meet you all. Jacky, good luck with starting your journey as a hunter. Mr Thomas, again it was an honor to meet a professor. And Ms. Lani, I hope to see you again in class, and that one day I get a chance to prove your grandfather right." Ele smirked at the last bit before bowing, allowing the trio to say their good-bye before he ran off to catch the flight to Aegis Academy. _Oh ya.. I'll be seeing Sereb again.. that and meeting the Thomas's may have actually made today a decent day_


	3. Shut it Sugar Tooth

Sereb cracked an eyelid open, to see a pair of crystal blue eyes staring back at her, with a small smile beneath them. "Hey, good to see you partner."

Sereb jumped forward, wrapping her arms around Ele's neck as she hung off him. "Ele! You are here! You-!" Sereb remembered she was in the middle of public as she saw people staring at them and heard whispers wondering what "that animal is doing to that poor boy..". Sereb let go of Ele as quickly as she had latched onto him, taking a step back and turning around, banging her head against the pillar hard enough to leave a small dent. Ele just chuckled as he put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, hey, hey. Stop that, hugging me one second, mutilating yourself the next? Not even a hello? Sugar Tooth, you okay?"

Sereb looked over her shoulder, taking a good look at her old friend. Ele stood a hair over 5" 9' so she had to look up at him from her small 5" 4' frame. His hair was still that dark midnight blue though it was hidden under a light grey beanie, and his skin was a darker tone than she remembered, but he still wore that baby blue pea coat, black slacks and pair of leather loafers, all tailored to fit. Sereb blushed as she was sure Ele noticed her staring.

"Remnant to Sereb, come in Sugar Tooth. Anyone home?" Ele waved a hand in front of Sereb as she'd gone silent again. "Ah! Sorry.. just.. well.. didn't want to embarrass you on your first day in Atlas.. after all you are a big tournament star, and I'm me.." replied Sereb, blushing slightly at her previous actions, to which Ele just groaned quietly. "Don't worry bout it, I've already dealt with most of that stuff, getting here.. I miss Frederick.. he was good with scaring people away.. now I got to do it.." Ele leaned forward, inspecting the wound on Sereb's head. "Not bleeding.. so you should be all good. But just in case..." Ele smirked as his hand brushed over the wound, using some of his aura to heal the bruise. "There, now how bout you show me around before I get tackled by crazed faunus again? Or is it fauni? Either way."

Sereb nodded, turning away quickly to hide the dark blush that betrayed her feelings to the world as she walked east, Ele easily keeping up with her quick strides. "Well, this is the main building. Most of the classes will be held in there I think, oh we have an assembly in an hour, and.."

* * *

Ele walked beside Sereb, listening to her talk bout the buildings and classes that they'd be taking for the next few years as he looked her over, not remembering her being so.. feminine. _No.. not feminine, that's not the word. She's always looked a bit girly, but something is different. She just seems.. wilder? _ Ele watched as she walked with a bit of confidence in her stride, the gun holsters around her hips swaying gently. Ele shifted his gaze back north to not be caught gazing as she pointed out the different dorms. Ele's eyes got drawn to her straight silver hair and angular wolf ears. Sereb's bangs framed her face, the tips deepening to black. _Not sure if it's intentional, but the hair and her fangs do make her look a bit like a wolf.. _Ele looked at the canines that poked out from her upper lips, snow-white and able to tear through meat like paper. Ele shuddered at the memory of a fight with Sereb where she bit him, his own fault really, but it wasn't till later that he even felt that he'd been cut.

"Ele? Remnant to Ele~ Looks like we lost -you- this time." Sereb smiled, poking Ele's chest as she got his attention. "Come on, let's go." she finished. "Hm? Where to?" Ele said, confused. "The summer ball..." Sereb only got another confused look. "The assembly.. for someone so smart, you are kind of stupid.." "Hush it Sugar Tooth, and lead the way." "As you command Tyrant." "Don't make me throw you into the fountain.." The pair bickered playfully walked to the meeting hall.

* * *

Professor Moira stood off to the side of the meeting hall, watching with an interested grin as the students started to pile in. She'd had a good haul this year. That punk Ozpin had snatched up Miss Nikos, but he forgot some very interesting leftovers. "That'll teach him.. that dreadful old coot will remember that desert is the best part of the meal, but you can't have any if you ignore the vegetables set before you.. hehehehe." Moira mumbled to herself. "Hungry already Headmaster? Didn't you just eat?" asked Professor Crat, having heard part of the one-woman conversation and had to interject to at least try to keep up the illusion to himself that his boss hadn't gone off the deep end just yet. Moira coughed. "Ah.. no. Just thinking of.. changes to the school dietary plan.. don't worry Crat.. it'll all work out.. this time I'll win.." Crat could only reply with a short "Sure thing boss" as the last of the students came in.

Once the noise had settled down a bit, Moira straightened her tie, gently dusted off her crisp grey suit, smoothed the disobedient strands of blond hair and adjusted her top hat to cover her left eye. _Always give them a bit of mystic, sets the students on edge and makes them pay attention._

"Usual bet? 40 lien each?" asked Moira. "80 on semblance." said Crat, "120 on old wound." smirked the young female professor Iasus. "Grimm or Hunter?" Moira questioned to clarify. "Grimm." Iasus responded confidently. "Guess that leaves me with 100 on Hunter." laughed Professor Hawkins. "That's 100 lien down the drain." Hawkin's mumbled joke got a collective chuckle from the gathered staff. "Alright, I got a feeling Crat is lucky. So I'll go 200 semblance. Alright, bets are closed. Now let's start this cattle show off right!"

**AN: Another chapter to finish fleshing things out, thanks to everyone who's reading this :) Anyways, hope you all enjoy. More chapters later~ Please leave a review with any suggestions/concerns or questions**


	4. Red Light

Sereb jumped in place, trying to get a good look at the stage while cursing her short stature. _All these tall people.. why was I cursed to be this short?! _Sereb groaned. "Head still hurting Sugar Tooth?" asked Ele, having no such issues with height. "Just wanted to see the stage, but I'm too short.." grumbled Sereb. "Don't think you'll be missing much, I'm sure with your ability to get into trouble, you'll be getting a good look at the headmaster, up close and personal." Ele grinned, getting a punch to the sides as the only response. "Ow.. no hitting, you big bully" "I'm the bull-?!" Sereb's retort got cut off as sounds came from the stage. A women with long blond hair in a flat grey suit and a weird top hat took the stage, standing behind the mic.

Professor Moira coughed quietly into the mic, shutting up the few students that remained talking. "Good evening. I am professor Moira. I am the headmaster of Aegis academy, and I am here to formally welcome all of you to my school. Everyone here was accepted into my school for their potential, or their skill. Finish your training in Aegis and you shall be among the best hunters in Remnant. But be warned. Weakness is not tolerated. Do not meet our expectations and you shall be removed. Now for tonight you will all sleep in the ballroom, I encourage you to make friends. Make enemies. Have fun, and live a little. For tomorrow you shall be tested, and not all of you shall pass. For it is through adversity we become stronger. I look forward to seeing you all in action." Moira bowed slightly. "You are dismissed."

* * *

"An uplifting and inspiring speech for sure.." commented Ele, unrolling his sleeping bag. _You'd think as a school as big as Aegis we could have just gotten beds or rooms or something.._ thought Ele as Sereb laid down on hers next to him. _Also rules seem a bit lax... ah well, whatever._ Ele shrugged and stretched. It'd been a long day, 2 airships, a lot of standing around and the bodily assault from a sugar crazed faunus. Ele looked at Sereb, curled up on her sleeping bag, wearing a white Achieve Men shirt 3 sizes too big for her and black pajama pants. "Mind keeping an eye on my spot while I get changed?" Getting an affirmative grunt, Ele chuckled and walked off to get into some sleep wear.

* * *

_It's been a good first day. And tomorrow we might get assigned teams.. wonder how I can get make sure I'm on Ele's team.. what if it's just random chance? Then I might be stuck with a bunch of randoms.. I'm sure we'd still be able to practice together though.. Ele wouldn't ditch me just cause we are on different teams, though we wouldn't have as much time together since he'll be spending time with his team.. _Sereb shifted around in her sleeping bag, worrying wasn't going to fix things, might as well cross that bridge when we come to it.

Sereb sat up, wondering what was taking Ele so long, he'd elected to get changed later to avoid having to wait around for the changing rooms to empty. After a moments glance, Sereb spotted Ele changed and taking to a group of people near the entrance to the room. Sereb shook her head, glad she didn't have to deal with all those people. Speaking of people.. where was Fa Lian? Sereb knew she'd been accepted into Aegis, so where was she? As if on cue, Sereb felt someone sit down on the free space next to her.

"So that's lover boy? If that was my boyfriend and he was hanging around with all those girls instead of cuddling with me and my adorable puppy ears, I'd have him hanged by now." Teased a familiar voice, before tackling Sereb from behind. "How are you Kitten? Enjoy the day with Sir Unfaithful?" continued Fa Lian, as she rested her chin on Sereb's shoulder. "He's not my boyfriend, you know that.." Sereb weakly replied. "Anyways, who he talks to is his own choice. He is his own person, and Mrs. Saphir's letter hasn't arrived yet, so I can't boss him around just yet." "Geez, the guy's mom is helping you? Aren't you basically set then?" "Well no.. it's ultimately his choice.. can't force him to like me.." "Want me to just tell him? Then you two can spend the night kissing and helping this puppy in he-" Sereb put her hands over Fa Lian's mouth, making them fall over in the attempt to shut her up.

"Don't you dare tell him! I'm just.. waiting.. for the right time.. I owe Ele a lot, and I want to make sure I'm strong enough to stand beside him as an equal.. I don't wanna be the useless love interest that he drags around out of obligation.." Sereb removed her hands from Fa Lian's mouth, wiping them on her shirt. Fa Lian stuck out her tongue. "Fine, don't accept the help of the love doctor. Your love life shall be forever cursed from my Vacuo magic~" Fa Lian waved her arms in Sereb's direction, making ghost noises. "What's this bout curses and magic?" Ele said, having come back from his discussion to hear the tail end of the conversation.

* * *

Ele raised an eyebrow as Sereb rambled on a list of excuses bout how they were talking bout rumors of a magic Grimm that grants wishes or how the headmasters left eye was cursed by some old witch. Ele couldn't really keep up since Sereb was firing off words like bullets out a machine gun. Before he could get a word in edge wise, the girl sitting next to Sereb put a hand on her shoulder, stopping the word flow. "Just girl talk. You must be Ele. Sereb has told me a lot about you, though I didn't expect the fearsome Tyrant was a fan of the Cookie Grimm.." Fa Lian smirked, looking at the character plastered to his shirt of an Ursa with a cookie in its mouth, saying 'Om nom nom'.

Ele shrugged. "Every mad man is allowed one guilty pleasure. And it's Cookie Grimm, nobody could hate him." Ele smiled. "Though I regret to say I'm not sure who you are. Sereb mostly talked bout classes and life in her letters." Ele held out a hand, which Fa Lian shook firmly. "Fa Lian, a friend of Sereb's, and her personal body-guard from those who wish to steal her cute puppy ears away from me~ So keep a distance, or there will be a succession to the throne." Fa Lian joked, giving Ele's hand a harsh squeeze that didn't get any reaction aside from a small smile. "A pleasure to meet you Fa Lian, I guess I should be thanking you for keeping Sereb out of trouble these past two years."

"It was one time! I get called to the headmasters office once, and he never lets me forget! And don't get me started with the sugar incident.." Sereb cried out, being teased on both sides from her best friends. "Alright, alright. I'll stop, mostly cause I am too tired." Ele gently pet Sereb, scratching behind her ears, not noticing the blush, before he yawned and lay down on his sleeping bag. "Good night ladies." Ele pulled his beanie out from his pocket, flipping it inside out before putting it over his eyes and passing out, snoring quietly.

Fa Lian leaned over to look at the beanie, speaking quietly. "Wake the tyrant, and feel his wrath" Fa Lian giggled. "Wonder where I can get one of those..." Sereb giggled as well, glad he still had the beanie. "Come on Fa Lian, let's get some sleep as well, tomorrow we got a test." Sereb settled into her sleeping bag as well, while Fa Lian flopped into hers. "Alright, _Sugar Tooth_.. night~" Fa Lian ducked the thrown pillow,with a laugh before handing it back to Sereb and falling asleep, leaving Sereb alone with her worries.

**AN: Another chapter, cause why not. Trying to do one a day or so, even if they are short. Hope everyone enjoyed it :) With more to come**


	5. Green Light

**AN: So yes. Ignore I totally didn't put the wrong note for the wrong chapter. Hush you in the back, you are imagining things. Anyways, another chapter cause why not? An actual bit of combat with more to come. I promise. Mostly. Fingers crossed. Anyways, hope you all enjoy~**

Ele sat at the edge of the cliff, a whetstone in one hand and a gemstone blue Corvo knife in the other. Ele slowly ran the whetstone along both edges of the blade, looking for the miniscule chips or cracks that show its condition. Ele found a small tear in the wrappings around the handle and nothing else. _Have to fix that later, give Lex and Jussum a complete look over once the test is complete and I get some free time._ Satisfied with Lex, he set the blade next to its twin, and repeating the process of inspection and conditioning the 10 inch long blade. Ele had gotten up early this morning, shaking Sereb away so they could grab some breakfast in peace before having a person sparing session to warm up for whatever they would face.

Ele smirked, looking at Sereb a few feet away from him, disassembling her 2 pairs of revolvers, ensuring that no dirt had gotten into the chambers, giving each piece a quick but effective cleaning. Once finished she reassembled the 4 revolvers.

_Got enough rounds on me to take rob every bank, dust shop and cabbage merchant in Remnant. But remember. Don't get -too- trigger happy. _Sereb reminded herself again, a lesson she be retaught morning when sparing with Ele. _Bugger didn't land a hit on me, but he didn't have too, wasted nearly a hundred rounds on him, then poof, I'm firing blanks... Sereb, don't forget, always reload when you get the chance. You get 24 shots a gun, but the last thing you need is facing off against an Ursa that wants a hug and while you are blowing wind._ Sereb went back to counting her bullets as they waited for the test to start.

* * *

Crat looked over the students before him, roughly 16 in total. Out of the 10 groups that were at varies places around the ridge to the valley below them. Crat smirked a bit, so far the rumors among the students were favoring him, and he's sure that Moira was probably quietly fuming at having to use Ozpin's method of team making because of last nights incident with a crater of dust, a chicken and a noodle. _That hooligan is going to regret being born once Moira is done with him. Ah well, that's what the idiot gets for such stupidity. Hope he doesn't want to be a hunter though, cause that's no longer a possibility. _Crat felt a sadistic smile grace his lips. Well he was old, so he did enjoy the suffering of the whippersnappers when he could.

Crat cleared his throat as his watch beeped, signalling the test would be starting shortly. "Form up! One student pet platform! Any of you idiots that try to ride in twos are going to end up as paste against the cliff face, or paste against the school walkway once I'm finished with you! So nut up! Shut up! And line up!" Crat smirked, watching the immediate reaction he got from the assembled crowd. _Ah, I love my job.. not a cruel man, but it is fun to give these punks a good bit of discipline._ Crat looked over the assembled group and started to relay his instructions.

"Alright! You are not stupid, so I'm sure most of you can guess what exactly you are standing on, what it does, and what -you- are going to have to do! But in case we have some dummies or other inadequate individuals among us! You shall be shot out into the valley! You will need to find your own way to land! I would recommend the option that keeps your bones both intact! And in your body!" Crat had to stop for a moment and cough, before continuing in his booming voice.

"After you have gotten your bearings! You will be heading south! In the centre of this valley there will be relics, trophies, what ever you want to call them! You are to obtain one, than exit the valley by whatever means you wish! Your performance shall be graded on various criteria! As for partners and teams! You will be receiving those at the end of the test! So feel free to act as you wish! Complete this mission solo, or in an army! I do not really care! Just remember! Law of the jungle! Kill the Grimm before they kill you! For you shall not be given any assistance from faculty! Now hop to it! And! Go!"

Crat's watch went off again, to which he responded by pushing a button displayed on his scroll, catapulting the first student down the line off into the valley. _People call me a cruel old clot, yet I'm not the genius who thought flinging children into a forest full of killers would be a good welcoming party._ Crat snorted as the last student in line was thrown forward. "Good luck to all of you." Crat nodded quietly, before starting the surveillance through his scroll.

* * *

Sereb grinned wildly as she felt the wind pressing against her, as she spread eagle against the wind to slow her down. Sereb kept Ele in her peripheral vision, seeing him do the exact opposite, shrinking himself down to cut through the air, speeding towards the trees at a pace most people would consider suicidal, but only caused Sereb to smirk. _Taking things as serious as ever I see.._ Sereb thought, finally having enough of the wind plastering her white skinny jeans any tighter to her skin.

Sereb closed her stance, making a mental note of where Ele landed as she crashed into the tree tops, grabbing the first sturdy branch she could, using it as a fulcrum to transform her forward momentum, upward. Letting go of the branch at the apex of her turn, Sereb did a tight back-flip to steady herself before sticking the landing, arms held out parallel to the ground. "Whew.. glad that's an emergency skill, not an everyday thing.. now to find Ele.." Sereb turned towards the direction she'd seen Ele enter, sprinting off towards him.

* * *

Ele kept his face composed, feeling the wind threaten to take his beanie off his head, and into the world. _Not today.._ Ele broke his pencil dive to bring a hand to his head, grabbing the hat quickly, stuffing it into a free pocket in his coat before reaching his hands behind them, one on each knife grip. Ele broke the tree line, tanking the branches and foliage with his aura.

Once though the upper level Ele barely had time to react as a trunk came into reach next to him. Ele quickly unsheathed Lex into his left hand, burying the hook of the blade into the trunk, as he brought his feet onto the bark as well to keep up his current speed. Ele jerked his knife out of the bark as he hit the ground running. _Should I look for Sereb? Nah, she'll be perfectly fine by herself. If anything she'll have either beaten me the objective, waiting to finish with me, or she's hunting me down at this moment. _Ele smirked. _Best be ready for an ambush.._

"Groowh.." A Beowolf's growl cut off Ele's train of thought as Ele glanced behind him. A pack of beowolves keeping up with his run. _Perfect. _Ele thought as two came up behind him. Ele put his hands back behind him, pulling Lex and Jussum out of their sheathes, before doing a dead stop, in one fluid motion unsheathing his knives and jumping back. Ele spread his arms out a bit, both knives held in reverse grip as the beowolves in their confusion charged past him, getting caught in the hook. _Lord Oum, how I love these things._ Ele pulled his arms back before the beowolves had time to respond, tearing out their throats in a swift motion. The sudden death of two of their own caused the pack of now 6 to pause for a moment. _No alphas, easy enough. _Since his opponents obviously wanted him to go first, Ele happily accepted their kind offer by charging towards the nearest one, getting around its side before slashing at the Grimm.

Ele kept calm as he felt his Lex and Jussum bite deep into flesh, one in the upper torso, the other in it's midsection, before Ele twisted his body, throwing the Grimm minus a sizable chunk of flesh into one of it's charging friends. Ele kept the spin going, side stepping one wolf that tried to sneak up on him, getting a knife to the back of its neck for its trouble. _4 left. _Ele turned around to see, ready to charge forward. But there was no targets, he only saw 4 more corpses than he could remember making. _Sereb.._ Ele chuckled, knowing she'd hear him. "Alright, you can come out now.." Ele gave his knives a quick wipe on the side of his pants as Sereb dropped down from a tree a little ways away, a large rifle strapped to her back. "Ah, makes sense why I didn't hear anything. I had my little guardian angel protecting me. Thank you~"

Sereb giggled as she came closer. "You are welcome, you almost had a bit of fun, or maybe you could have gotten hurt. Couldn't have that happen now, could I?" Ele slid his knives back into their sheathes. "Now, I would love to give my fair rescuer a proper reward, but we have a mission to complete first. Would you care to join me, or quiet one?" Ele raised a small eyebrow at the blush that crossed Sereb's face. _Nah, over thinking it._ Sereb nodded. "Gladly my lord." She joked, as the pair started to jog south, making a bet on how many more Grimm they'd have to kill before the test was over.


	6. For Want of a Flare Gun

**AN: Fluff, fluff and more fluff, cause why not? Hope everyone enjoys it.**

_Yep, that's it. _Sereb smirked, having spotted the relics in the distance, and was no confirming that it was them through the scope of her rifle. Sereb looked around. _Quite a lot of relics left, we might be among the first._ Sereb grinned as she slung her rifle over her shoulder, letting it rest gently against her back. "Looks like Ele owes me lunch." Sereb stood up on the branch she was standing on, reaching into her back pocket to pull out a set of earplugs.

Sereb gently slid them into her ear, making sure they were fit and working before taking a deep breath, and letting loose a wolf howl that could be heard throughout the entire valley, using her aura to boost the sound. After howling for a moment, her throat left dry and hurting, she hopped down through the branches to ground level.

_That shake is going to taste amazing coupled with the knowledge of having Ele as a teammate. Oh ya! _Sereb congratulated herself, then got moving, cause while she may have told Ele that she found something, she'd also informed the entirety of the Grimm population where she was.

Sereb kept up a good pace, till she arrived at the nevermore shaped rock they assigned as a meeting post, to see Ele running up from behind the rock. "I always forget how loud you are when you want to." Ele said, shaking his head, Sereb seeing the lips moving, but not hearing the voice.

_Oh ya.. earplugs.. stupid_. Sereb giggled and nodded. "Indeed." Sereb brushed her hands past her human ears to subtly remove the earplugs, hoping that Ele had said a joke or the jig was up. Not noticing a thing, Ele continued. "Where to?" "I'd say bout a mile that way, if not a bit less." She responded, pointing in the direction she'd seen the relics.

"Lead the way partner, cause while I am fine killing every Grimm in the valley, I am not so keen on doing it all at once, if you catch my drift Sugar Tooth." Ele joked as he let Sereb rest for a moment, patting her back. "Thirsty?" Sereb nodded slightly, they'd only been in the valley for an hour or so, but it was a dry, hot day reminding everyone that summer wasn't over just yet.

Ele reached into a jacket pocket, pulling out a wrapped candy. "Won't do much, but will stop your mouth from tasting like sand." Ele passed the candy over to Sereb, who took the candy and popped it into her mouth. "Always carry candy with you on a mission?" "Never know when a bit of sugar could be helpful, or when a bit of kindness will help someone keep going." Ele smiled innocently. "Always such a caring Tyrant." "That's an oxymoron, I'm pretty sure." "Please, you have more than 8 sides." "Ouch, get moving Sugar Tooth. We've been here far too long, I can almost smell the Grimm"

Sereb nodded, as she set off towards the relics, letting Ele keep watch for approaching Grimm as she navigated. Sereb rolled the candy around in her mouth, finally noticing the flavor. _Raspberry._

Crat away from the edge of the cliff, keeping an eye on the little observation station he had set up, one screen per student assigned to him. _All this blasted technology. In my day we just had simple holograms, and had to fight Grimm one on one. Bah._

Crat's gaze wandered through the screens, assessing everyone's progress slowly. Only 3 of his 16 had retrieved a relic by now, a bit above average but nothing spectacular yet. Body count on the other hand. _Geez. __Remind Jane that we may need to lay off this place for a bit if we wish to keep using it for anything other than navigation training. Either Jane gave me all the high hopes ones, or this year we've had a good haul cause everyone is tearing through Grimm like a hot knife through silk. Well mostly everyone._

Crat looked at two screens near the bottom left corner. _Sereb Zakon and Ele Saphir, total kills 4 each. Sereb I can understand, she is about average if a hair above. Mr. Saphir... for one so highly praised he didn't seem to be living up to expectations. Granted he would have torn through the 8 beowolves like a taurus through a Vacuo shop, but I don't see why Jane was so adamant bout scooping him up? _

Crat could only sigh, coming to the conclusion that either he'd missed something, his boss had lost her mind, or that some possible third thing. All three, just as likely. Crat watched as the pair approached the relics, both grabbing a black knight. _Congrats, you are now part of the same team. With whom? No idea. Just hope you are worth the hype Mr. Saphir. For I am not convinced._

Ele pocketed his piece, he was terrible at chess, but he'd always enjoyed the knight. _Nothing better than moving it first just for fun._ Ele stretched. "Alright, now back to the cliffs we go. What piece did you take anyways?" Ele asked Sereb. "Hm? Oh, I well.. what'd you pick?" Sereb asked. "Black Knight, why?" Ele inquired. "Well.. you wouldn't mind me on your team would you?" Sereb mumbled quietly, to which Ele could only laugh. "Nah, I'd be happy to have you." Ele pat Sereb's shoulder gently. "You need a bit of confidence my sweet Sugar Tooth."

Sereb blushed, her hands behind her back, playing with the ebony black chess piece she'd already taken when she saw which one he'd grabbed. "Thanks.. come on.. let's get going." Sereb turned and started walking south, Ele following beside her.

Sereb looked through the scope, whispering quietly to Ele who was kneeling next to her on the tree branch. "40 at least.. 3 alpha's maybe more. The tree cover is blocking my view to the east." "Probably assume it's 4 alpha's. One per 10 is the rule of thumb." "Ya.. we could take them, but it's getting late and we don't know if this test has a time limit. That I wish I could confirm more but I swear I hear something else over there. Can't tell what cause of all the background noise."

Sereb's howling early seemed to have gathered a large herd of Grimm together, as it roamed around the valley. _I'm pretty sure no one is stupid enough to take on a group this big solo. So no one should be hurt, hopefully. _"East or west?" Ele asked. "West, less noise over there. A few minutes that way, then we swing back to the south, and we should be able to avoid them." was Sereb's response, double checking with her ears where all the growls and bestial grunts were coming from. Sereb nodded, sure of herself.

"Alright. I'll take point. You keep Glavni in long-range form, we may need to keep our eyes open." Ele groaned. "Stupid of me to leave Patior and Pactum in the locker." Sereb nodded as she stood up, throwing Glavni over her shoulder for what seemed like the hundredth time today, giving Ele a light smack on the back of his head. "Yes, it was. Genius. Now get moving."

Ele nodded, pulling both of his knives out of their sheathes preemptively. "Alright. Tell me when we are in the safe zone." Ele jumped forward, leaping from branch to branch, doing his best to be quiet, but not completely succeeding. Sereb followed in his footsteps, quiet as a wolf on the prowl.

"Phew.." Sereb took a breath once they were out of the danger zone, far enough away that the beowolves would not hear them. "Alright, another minute this way and we can turn." Ele nodded as he stayed his course. "Wait.. hold up..." Sereb said, stopping in her tracks, the branch beneath her quietly as if to announce her added weight.

Ele stood on his own branch, speaking almost in a whisper. "Issue?" "Too quiet." Sereb's voice was also as quiet as she thought she could go while still having Ele hear her. "Double back a bit, we'll charge straight south. Go-" he said before he noticed the glowing red eyes coming up behind Sereb. Without thinking Ele charged, knocking Sereb off the branch as a giant jaw snapped down on Ele. "Tai..jitu.. of course..."


	7. Things that Start with S

_Ele, you have lived for 17 years. Fought in every tournament you could, trained and nearly killed by a psychopath pretending to be a retired hunter on many occasions. Think, how are you going to get out of this alive? Cause now you are literally staring into the waiting jaws of death. _Ele groaned, as the King Taijitu tried to close its jaw, adding even more pressure to Ele's strained arms, as he felt his own blades press against his skin. Ele felt the pressure subside for a moment as the white head readied itself for the next attack.

Ele took advantage of this momentary weakness to jump back out of the over grown garden snakes mouth, landing on the forest floor. "Sereb, plan B!" Ele called out, sure she'd hear him. Ele sprinted forward, dodging the Taijitu's lunge with a quick side step. Ele slammed his blades into the gleaming white snake-skin as it sped past him, feeling the steel break through the scales. Ele kept moving, dragging the blades through the Taijitu's flesh as it came around for another attack. Ele waited to the last second before stopping and letting himself be pulled around by his blades, laughing quietly to himself as the snake head crashed into its own body.

Ele tore out his knives, taking a few scales with them before jumping onto the snake's body, using it as a path. _I have white's attention, now let's get black's. _Ele saw the pattern beneath his feet shift, going from pure white to checker, finally bitch black. The second head didn't seem to notice Ele's presence immediately. _How rude.._ Ele kicked off the snake, landing on top of the black head, plunging the blades down. The black head thrashed wildly in pain. _Damn, not deep enough._ Ele frown as he pulled one knife out of the head, the other one caught against something.

Before Ele had time to try again the white head came from his side, slamming its bony self against his side, pinning him to the tree. Ele grinned painfully as he slammed into tree bark. Ele reached down, grabbing one of the large fangs that were trying unsuccessfully to pierce him, hooking his blade deep into the tree, anchoring him. As soon as the white head pulled away Ele smirked wickedly. _Check mate. _The white head was held in place, unable to move back or forward as it yanked against Ele's grip. The tree would only hold for a few seconds, but that's all Ele needed.

* * *

Sereb crouched quietly on the tree branch, slowing her breathing, and doing the best to make herself invisible. She watched from the tree tops, her trusted sniper rifle Glavni at the ready, waiting for the right moment as Ele fought the King Taijitu below her. Many would call Sereb's actions cowardly, hiding when her friend fought for his life in front of her, but she wouldn't care. She was following his orders. _Plan B. Bait and Switch._ Sereb moved through the trees, quiet as the breeze, keeping pace with fight below her, making sure to keep herself to the side of the Tiajitu's white head.

Sereb made a quick double-check of her rifle settings, confirming the 3 light blue dots and one yellow, indicating her ammo selection. Sereb winced as Ele got slammed into the tree before lifting her rifle sights, this was it, as she saw Ele grab both the snakes jaw and the tree, holding it in place.

Sereb grinned as she pulled the trigger. _Boom. Headshot._ A loud crack rang out as a foot long razor-sharp shard of ice rocket out of Sereb's sniper rifle, piercing through the Tiajitu's eye at half the speed of sound, before shattering inside it's skull. Sereb pulled back the bolt chambering the next round, seeing the white head slump fall with a thud. Her party was interrupted as the black head charged Ele, looking to avenge its other half. Ele stood his ground, digging his feet into the dirt to take the charge head on.

Sereb watched as Ele grappled with the snake head for a minute, before winning, holding it tightly around the neck in a powerful bear hug. Sereb didn't wait as she quickly lined up her next shot, adjusting her aim for the trashing, before pulling the trigger, smiling as the ice shard entered in one eye, and exited out the other.

* * *

Ele took a breath. _I. Hate. Snakes.._ Ele stretched before yanking Jussum out of the Grimm's body. Ele looked at Sereb as she descended from her tree. "You know, a bit of warning would have been nice. I almost needed a new pair of pants." he said. Sereb just giggled. "Oh I'm sorry. I'll be sure to announce every shot I take from now on." Ele grinned. "Good, now let's get out of here." Sereb nodded. "Lead the way boss man." "So polite, who are you and what'd you do to my Sereb." "Threw her to the beowolves while you weren't looking." "Oh, good. Hope you threw in something with more meat as well, or they may think you skimped them." Ele dodged an embarrassed punch, before the pair set off south.

* * *

Crat yawned, it'd been a few hours since the test began and nearly everyone had completed the assignment, so he was stuck watching the stragglers in his group, a pair of boys who were making their way to the exits on opposite sides of the valley. Crat watched with interest as one boy tore through a pack of beowolves like a tornado, bisecting the animals as if they were made of paper mache. The other was the exact opposite, making steady progress through the Grimm before him, stopping at nothing, slowly wearing down the large herd that had surrounded him. _Interesting chumps. Wonder how they'll work in teams..._

* * *

Sereb smiled as she sat in the auditorium, watching as other groups of hunters were called to the stage, being presented to the assembled student body. Her eyes wandered to the young man sitting next to her, grey beanie over his eyes. The pair had run into a few more packs of Ursa before they managed to exit the valley, and since Ele had felt he hadn't done enough to help with the Taijitu, he took it open himself to take on 16 while she was left to straggler duty. Sereb smiled at the memory of him charging into a pair of Ursa Majors, using a trick she'd taught him to avoid the bone crushing paws.

"Fa Lian Chiko, Rozene Inteus, Svend Harald, Alcee Davide. You have retrieved the black king pieces. You four shall work together as Team Freesia, led by Fa Lian Chiko. Congratulations." said Headmaster Moira, smiling as the group of 4 high-five'd each other, the two men in the group patting Fa Lian on her back. Sereb clapped excitedly for her friend, proud that she'd be leading a team. Sereb poked Ele once they were both finished applauding, getting up to stand by the side of the stage as the team before them took the stage.

"Lani Thomas, Alexander Vania, Ian Maire, and Sarid Jabin. The 4 of you.." continued the Headmaster, as Sereb looked over the two boys that stood next to her. The first was just a bit taller than her, and rather thin looking, with dark purple hair, and what appeared to be his sigil tattooed under his left eye, a cloud with spears raining down. This one didn't seem to be very happy, ignoring Sereb's eye contact. The second seemed a lot friendlier, and he was a monster of a man, standing a good few inches over even Ele's height, and having a body built like an Ursa without the fur. He waved a bit, and nodded a greeting, not saying a word, probably out of respect, not wanting to talk during the headmasters speech.

As the newly appointed team Lapis exited off the stage, the 4 waiting on the side replaced them. "Jin Vertez, Sereb Zakon, Phriz Tefra, and Ele Saphir. All of you have selected the black knight piece. From this day forth, you shall work together as Team Jasper. Led by..." Sereb noticed a bit of movement, as the purple haired boy next to her, puffed up his chest, probably expecting himself to be selected as leader. Sereb could only smirk, wondering if the bit of arrogance would come true, she took a quick look at Ele, who seemed a bit disinterested in the proceedings, probably just wanting to get some sleep.

"Ele Saphir!" A massive cheer went up from the audience, a lot of people knowing Ele for his reputation. Ele only bowed his head before Professor Moira, giving a soft. "I will do my best. Thank you." Before leaving the stage, his new teammate's following behind them.

* * *

Sereb walked beside Ele as the new team went to their assigned dorm. "So, team leader Ele? A nice ring to it, if I may so. Just what you need, another title for your ego." Sereb teased. The large teen behind her put a hand on Ele's shoulder, stopping the groups stroll. Ele turned around, curious to what was going on, to see Jin giving him a big thumbs up and a grin. "Not much of a talker are you? I was going to let introductions wait until we got to the room. I am Ele, I look forward to working with you.. Jin." Ele said, remembering the name as he held out his hand. Jin shook it, his hand completely covering Ele's, before he took his scroll out of his pocket, tapping away at it before showing it to Ele and the group.

'A pleasure to work with everyone as well. I do apologize if my silence till now has offended you. I am afraid I am not able to speak, and have to humbly ask that you forgive me for the inconvenience.' was the message on the scroll. "A mute?" asked Sereb, a bit confused. Jin nodded, looking embarrassed. Sereb smiled. "Well, if you managed to get into Aegis as a mute, you must be quite good." Jin waved a hand dismissively. "Either way, I'm sure it'll be fine, just means we get to learn awesome hand signals." Sereb finished, and Jin nodded, happy that his new team seemed to be okay with his silence.

Ele smiled a bit at Jin, before turning to the purple boy who must be Phriz. "I look forward to working with you as well Phriz. I've heard of the Tefra's. If possible, I'd like to inspect your weapon one day. I heard Tefra steel made by an actual Tefra can cut through a Grimm's armor like rice paper."

Phriz ignored Ele's comment, moving to stand in front of Ele, attempting to stare the taller man down. "I will not be taking orders from some two-bit, third-rate, wannabe gladiator."


	8. Take a Breath

"I won't take orders from some two-bit, third-rate, wannabe gladiator." Phriz's words rang out in the hallway, stopping nearby students who heard, sensing a fight bout to break out. Sereb just blinked. She knew a few people didn't like Ele because of his personality, his history as a gladiator or both together, but not a lot of people would call him out within half an hour of meeting.

Ele just blinked. "I'm sorry? Did I say something wrong?" Ele was a bit confused, not really sure how things went down hill so fast. "I said, I'm am not taking orders from you. I will be seeing Headmaster Moira, or whoever, so that this team gets a proper leader, instead of a slaver." said Phriz, still staring at Ele, not having backed down an inch as a small crowd began to gather.

"Look, I think there has been a misun-" coughed Ele, before getting interrupted. "Don't you try to sugar coat me! I've seen your fights, Tyrant. I know what you can do, and I'm not going to fall for your tricks. So shut up." Phriz's voice got a bit louder, carrying down the hallway.

_What are these punks up to?_ Thought Crat as he saw the mob of people in the hallway.

Sereb sighed, having had enough. "Look, I think you are over thinking things here Phriz, I've been Ele's friend for 7 years, he would n-" "Yes, a friend for 7 years, which means he has complete control over you. I don't care if a mutt like you is fine with being on his leash, but I am not going to his-" Phriz interrupted again. "Mutt?! First you call your leader a third-rate. Now you call someone you've just met a mutt?!" Sereb was fuming, till she felt a hand on her shoulder, seeing Ele shake his head.

Ele took a step forward. "Ok. Phriz, go ahead and voice your complaints to the headmaster. I do not care either way, but first apologize to Sereb, then we can walk away." Ele said, trying to keep things calm. "I will be speaking to the headmaster, but I will not be apologizing to an animal." A rumble went up from the group, with Phriz getting a few dirty looks from both faunus and their teammates. Sereb's temper would have exploded, had it not been for Ele's hand on her shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry. Least I'm not a coward. If you want to be leader so badly, why don't you just prove you are stronger than him? Or did you do so bad in initiation, you worried you might get kicked out?" Sereb's voice contained a surprising amount of venom.

Phriz took a couple of steps back, before deciding to stand his ground. "My performance has nothing to do with-" "Your performance has everything to do with this! You call him a third-rate, yet you are too scared to fight him! What's that make you? Trash in most books, I'm sure." Sereb called back, not sure why she was so worked up. Then Phriz did something he shouldn't have, with a step forward he had taken a fistful of Sereb's shirt into his hands, looking at her threateningly. "Look here-"

There was a beat, a small moment of silence where no one was sure what happened. One second Phriz was in place to punch a stubborn looking Sereb, the next he pressed against the wall, two sharp blades digging lightly into his neck with a not pleased Ele staring him down with a look that ensured him the knives weren't a bluff, they were a promise. "I do not care, what your problem with me is. But. And pay very close attention to this, cause I am more than willing to slit your throat here and now. You, do not, threaten Sereb. Is that clear?" Phriz nodded slightly, defiance still showing in his eyes.

The sound of gun being cocked behind him brought Ele back from his little world as Professor Crat's voice could be heard. "Gentleman. I am all fine and dandy with a bit of friendly competition, but I do not enjoy my students passing death threats along on the first day. Now. Mr. Saphir, if you would please lower your knives, and step back, I would be happy to help you both resolve this situation like proper huntsman? Hm? Or do I have to discipline the pair of you?"

Ele took the required steps back, sheathing his knives. Sereb watched as Phriz put a hand to his neck where Ele had nicked him slightly. "Alright, now. Since this is an issue that is better left dealt with quickly. You will grab whatever weapons you need from your lockers. And you shall follow me. We will be having a -proper- match, to decide who shall be the leader of Team Jasper. _Blasted punks, making me do all this extra work._

Both parties nodded, content with the rules for now, following after the old professor. Sereb cursed herself, for her stupidity in starting this. The team was followed closely by the crowd that had gathered.

* * *

Word had gotten out, the first big fight of the year, and it was to be between teammate. Eventually the whole campus knew, drawing a large audience to the training rings to watch.

* * *

Sereb looked at the door before her, plain and unmarked aside from the small plague that said '4A'. They'd been dragged to the training area by Professor Crat, and the fight was to start in a few minutes. Apparently stuff like this had strict rules in Aegis, along with a tradition of allowing the school to watch if the noise was any indication... Sereb gently opened the door, to see Ele in full arena get up, the only addition being a cast iron crown sat atop his head instead of his usual beanie. Ele sat on a bench, head in his hands, mumbling something to himself.

Slowly making her way over to sit next to him, their shoulder's lightly touching. Ele finished his mumble, hands now on his knees, but head still bent towards the floor. "I'm sorry.." Sereb said quietly, tears welling up. _I'm an idiot, we are a team for less than 2 hours and we are already falling apart. I shouldn't have asked to be on his team... _ Sereb's inner monologue got cut short by a hand gently patting her on the head, absentmindedly scratching behind her wolf ears, calming her down. Ele didn't say a word, just simply pet her and let her lean against him, Sereb's head resting on his shoulder.

Eventually the silence was broken by Ele, Sereb having been calmed down, and no longer actively blaming herself. "It's not your fault, it's a problem that would have come up eventually.. I'm glad we got the chance to get it out-of-the-way now, instead of on a mission." Sereb nodded weakly. "Don't be too harsh on him please.. the whole school is watching.." "I make no such promises, I shall be as cruel as needed." Ele removed his hand from Sereb's head, bringing it down around her shoulder, pulling her in for a small hug. "After all, I got a promise to keep." Without being allowed time to react, Ele stood up and strolled to the door. "I'll be back in a bit."

* * *

Ele and Phriz stood across from each other, roughly 20 yards apart at the edge of the arena. Professor Crat stood in the middle, having a coughing fit before clearing his throat. "Tonight, we have a challenge of leadership. Phriz Tefra believes Ele Saphir inadequate for command! Now, as no actual evidence has been placed against Mr. Saphir! We are forced to do a trial by combat by Sir Tefra's insistence! The rules are simple. Aura goes in the red, you lose. You may surrender at any point of the match! The match shall be judged by Headmaster Moira, and her verdict is final! Weapons, and semblances are both allowed. If you lose, there shall be no rematches, or further actions taken place. Any questions from the combatants?"

Both Ele and Phriz shook their heads. "Weapons at the ready!" Phriz shift pulled the spear off his back, it expanding before him, a long sturdy pole with a curved triangular head-piece, roughly 7 inches wide, and 20 inches long, the entirety of the spear being roughly the same height as it's owner.

Ele didn't flourish his weapons, he simply unsheathed one knife, than another before gently tossing them out of the arena, before unbuttoning his coat, to reveal his muscled frame. Tossing the coat out of the arena, leaving Ele in a white long sleeve shirt, his sigil proudly displayed on his back with the words 'Tyrant' and 'Divine Right' printed on the sleeves all in bright blue hue. _May have been a bad idea to wear this shirt, might look like pandering to the audience.. Ah well, too late._ Ele rolled his shoulders, leaving the cast iron crown on his head, but removing Patior and Pactum from his fingers, clipping the rings to his belt for safe keeping.

Ele's undressing and disarming had an effect on Phriz, sending him further into rage. "You won't even face me with a weapon! Or armor! Do not expect to use that as an excuse once I have crushed you!" he yelled. Ele ignored his opponent's outburst, speaking calmly. "Would an overseer need a sword when beating a helpless slave? No.. I am the Tyrant! My power is absolute before weaklings like you.. " A cheer erupted from the audience, some cheering for Phriz to take down the arrogant man, and some cheering for Ele to give them a good show.

Crat coughed, reminding them that he was here. "And! Begin!"

* * *

Sereb sat down next to Fa Lian as Ele entered the arena, watching the exchange take place, a small smile escaping at Ele's trademark overconfidence. "Now I'm starting to see why he's called the Tyrant.. he's got the ego of one for sure.." commented Fa Lian as the match began, seeing Phriz charge in, fueled by rage, making wild stabs and slashes at Ele who barely avoided them, with a look of complete indifference on his face. "It's a stage thing, after a while people started seeing him as the bad guy in his big fights, so.. he just went with it. Give them a show after all, that's why he enjoys these kinds of fights."

Sereb felt a large hand tap her on the shoulder. Turning around to see Jin. "Ah, hello Jin, sorry, wasn't paying attention. How may I help you?" Seeing the scroll held out, she looked it over. 'You ok?' Sereb nodded. "I am fine, thank you.. Sorry bout all this." 'It's alright, hopefully the two of them can work their issues out. Also.. well.. um.. Ele isn't like that normally right?' Sereb shook her head. "No.. he's not.. Phriz just pushed the wrong buttons." 'Ah, phew, ok. I look forward to this year then once Phriz has learned some manners.' Sereb nodded. "Indeed, I think it will be fun. Now, how bout we watch the show?" Jin smiled and nodded, pocketing his scroll.

Sereb turned back to the fight and could only find one word to describe it. One sided. Phriz was too enraged to fight properly, while Ele did everything to egg him on, dodging every spear thrust, slash and stab with ever-increasing ease, and once Phriz jumped back, revealing his trump card, Sereb knew the outcome of the match, but she still watched as Phriz spun his spear with well practiced speed, slashing the air, sending out shock-waves of aura at Ele.

Ele's responds to Phriz revealing his semblance was to keep up his current actions, dodge, duck and weave, avoid everything while looking at Phriz with a face that asked if he had any other pathetic tricks to unveil. Finally cracking, Phriz let out a yell as he charged Ele. Ele simply side-stepped the charge, and grabbed Phriz by the throat, swinging back his foot, to knock Phriz to the ground, effortlessly pinning him. Once pinned Ele just let Phriz get back up, and readied himself for another round.

This pattern continued for a while, Ele simply making a fool of Phriz, not saying a word, and barely touching him. Phriz kept charging, attempting to skewer Ele with his spear, and all he met was open air, until the duo were back at starting positions. Phriz looked at Ele, holding his gaze, before flicking his wrist, the spear collapsing in on itself. "I surrender." Phriz nodded a bit, before turning and exiting the arena to the sound of various insults and terrible names, disappointed in how anticlimactic it was.

* * *

Ele lay down on the bench, taking a quick break, he hadn't used a lot of aura in the fight, but he was tired after everything that had happened today. So he just laid down on the bench, a cool towel over his eyes. _I hope I did the right thing..._ Ele reached into his coat pocket, grabbing a candy before popping it into his mouth, smiling at the taste. _Raspberry._ Ele sat up, might as well go back to his dorm now, hopefully he wouldn't be up much longer and could finally get some rest.


	9. My Kingdom for a Pillow

**AN: Short chapter this time. Hope you all enjoy, and please leave a review with comments or ways to improve, it would be very helpful. :)**

Sereb looked at the room that she'd be living in for the next 4 years, a decent size with 4 beds, one in each corner and a bathroom set to the side. Looking through the window, she got a nice view of the valley that initiation had taken place in. The sun had set awhile ago, so the moon hung low casting a dim light over everything, making the valley look almost peaceful, instead of the lion's den it actually was.

Sereb sat down on the bed in the back left corner, watching Jin unpack a few things before flopping down, face first into a pillow. Sereb chuckled. _Guess I'm not the only one that's tired... I wonder where Ele is, I hope he hasn't fallen asleep in the changing room.._ Sereb and Jin had left the arena a few minutes ago, walking with Fa Lian and her team, introducing each other. Sereb was happy to find that Fa Lian was just down the hall, and that her team seemed to be nice people.

Jin sat up from his bed, tapping away at his scroll before turning it to Sereb. "Ah, no worries. I'll just get changed in the bathroom during the mornings, it's no big deal." Sereb nodded. "But thanks for the concern." Jin nodded and put away his scroll, before laying down to get to sleep. Sereb smirked, having a good feeling bout Jin.

She got up, and went into the bathroom, changing into her pajama's and t-shirt, coming out to find Ele standing in a pair of shorts with no shirt, folding his combat uniform, before stashing it in a dresser. Sereb watched, looking over the various scars on Ele's back. "Your fight went well, I think." Sereb said quietly, not wanting to wake Jin, who was now snoring into his pillow. Ele did one last stretch of his arms before sitting on his bed, looking at Sereb. "Thanks.. now I just hope things work out.. has Phriz come back yet?"

Sereb shook her head. "No, not yet." Ele nodded. "Alright.. we'll give him some time then.. aside from that, who knows? We can only hope for the best. Good night Sereb, you were great today." Ele patted Sereb's head as he walked past her, turning off the room light, hearing a soft. "Thanks Ele, it means a lot." Ele slipped into bed, putting his beanie over his eyes. Sereb slipped into her own bed, looking at the clock. _11..got to get up around 6 or 7... ugh.. this is not going to be nice to get used to._ Sereb fell asleep to thoughts of having to get dragged out of bed.

* * *

Sereb felt someone gently shaking her shoulders._ I'm starting to see why Ele wears the beanie even when sleeping... I should make one later.. Lord Oum.. please smite whoever is interrupting my blessed sleep.. thank you. _"Sereb, wake up.." Sereb groaned. _Ele.. I love you, but you better have a good reason for this, or I will be biting you. _Sereb grudgingly opened her eyes and looked at the clock next to her. _3 am... not a chance._ Sereb closed her eyes again, and started to doze off until she heard a sigh, and felt someone gently tugging on her ears. The tugging continued for a minute till Sereb gave up. "Alright, I'm up.. what do you want?" "Sorry, but it's important." Sereb sat up, rubbing her eyes, to see Jin awake as well. _Okay, so this might be important. _Sereb turned to see Phriz, looking at the floor.

"Sorry for waking you guys up.. I just.. wanted to apologize for my behavior.. and felt that if I didn't do it now then it may cause issues in the future.. Sereb, I am very sorry, I let my anger get the better of me. I shouldn't have said anything so offensive to a teammate, I hope that you can one day forgive me. And Ele..I will accept your claim to leadership.. I apologize for my actions, and I hope that we can move on from my outburst.. it won't happen again." Jin yawned slightly, patting Phriz's shoulder before grabbing his scroll, typing out a message. 'It's cool, just try to talk stuff out first next time, cause watching you in that arena was just embarrassing.' Jin smirked.

Ele shrugged, perfectly alright with the way things turned out for now, before he cast a glance at Sereb, to see what she had to say. Sereb stared at Phriz. "I am still mad at you, but I'm sure that'll be cleared up once I've gotten some sleep. I can.. understand why you'd be worried bout being on this team, so I can't really blame you... but I will warn you, next time you say something so stupid. -I- will be fighting you, and I'm not as nice as Ele." Sereb gave her warning, but was already past the issue.

Ele chuckled. "Alright... now as leader, my first order is everyone get some sleep. And another warning.. if anyone wakes me up before 7... they will feel the wrath of a tyrant.." Ele said jokingly, but was completely serious, having had enough of this lack of sleep garbage. Sereb smiled. "He's not lying. Wake him up, and you'll be in big trouble." The group dispersed, Phriz muttering one last apology before everyone was back in their beds. Sereb looked at the ceiling. _It's going to be an interesting year._


	10. Best 2 out of 3

Sereb stood next to Svend as he counted up the Lien, making sure everyone put in their cut. "You chumps ready to lose yo money? No way Phriz is going to clear dat." Fa Lian took out a 40, handing it to Svend. "I see your 30 and raise you 10." "Go for it honey bunz, this is one bet ya gonna lose." Sereb put in her extra 10, and so did Rozene. It was a warm day, the last dying breath of summer before the fall set in completely. School had been going on for roughly two months, with Team's Lapis and Freesia growing close through combat training and spending time together. Usually doing silly things. Such as what was going on now.

Ele and Alcee were off to the side, sitting together as Alcee gave the blue haired leader assistance with a Grimm studies project, both doing their best to ignore what was going on so they could claim ignorance later. Jin was laying across the pathway, having a quick nap after the Saturday lunch that where he'd been moved from the soft grass to the pavement without noticing.

"Alright, all bets closed. Looks like our brave idiot is ready to go." Svend said, counting a total of 110 lien. As he gave Phriz the go ahead. Phriz sat on a small plastic tricycle that Rozene had found earlier today which inspired this event. Phriz nodded, sitting awkwardly in the tiny bike, his knees nearly touching his chest before he started pedaling frantically. Phriz got a good amount a speed from the bike before he hit the makeshift ramp they'd be from a couple borrowed pieces of wood from Professor Crat. Phriz took off the ramp and knew he wasn't going to make it, so he kicked off the bike a bit, landing on top of Jin's stomach, rudely awakening the sleeping giant to the sounds of cheers from Svend and Rozene, as Fa Lian threw her hands in the air to Sereb's laughter.

Jin just looked at Phriz, a bit annoyed, before grabbing his scroll, typing a message. 'Phriz, if you wanted to cuddle, you could have just asked.. though I have to say, you are a little.. masculine for my tastes.' Phriz chuckled. "Thanks big guy, nice to know I still got a chance. I'll get off of you now..." Phriz rolled off of Jin. "And in my defense, it was Rozene's idea." "Hey! Not cool! Throwing me under the buss like that!" Jin chuckled, and stood up, walking over to Svend and Rozene, taking 10 lien each from them. 'My cut ;)' Jin smirked at the pair of faunus, daring them to challenge him for a cut of the winnings. The pair only twirled their tails and tried to look innocent.

Fa Lian spoke up."Alright, well since the goal post has moved, I'm thinking it's time to clean up. Me and Sereb will put the ramp back in the forge, if you can go find a place to stash the bike that'd help." The trio of Phriz, Svend and Rozene nodded as Svend picked up the bike, carrying it in one hand as they walked off discussing places they could store it for later.

Sereb looked at Fa Lian as she picked up the wood board. "We'll have to think of something to get them with next time.." "Could always play them at video games again? So long as it isn't a fighting game we got a fair chance." Sereb nodded. "Hey! Jin! You keep an eye on the royal pair while we go to the forge!" Jin gave a lazy thumbs up, already back in the grass, wanting to finish his nap. Ele didn't seem to notice the comment as he was too busy looking through the Grimm studies text-book, trying to find the best way to slice up a death stalker with his knives.

Fa Lian and Sereb walked for a while, waiting till she was out of ear shot. "So, when are you going to tell him? It's been nearly two month and all you've done is team stuff, sure some solo practice, but if you want to reel in the big fish, you got to use more than simple worm as bait!" Fa Lian asked Sereb. Sereb blushed. "What do you mean?" "Girl, do not play stupid with me. You are chickening out. You are just letting chances pass by you. I am probably safe in assuming that Ele is a -teenage- male. He's by no means a celibate monk. So the longer you wait, the more likely someone will grab him first!" "Well.. yes.. but well, what if he says no? Then it'll be awkward for the team.. and just after we've all finally gotten to get along.. I don't want to do that."

Fa Lian took a few steps forward, blocking Sereb's path. "Look.. just trust me on this.. it'll be better if you tell him. Get it out in the open and he'll say yes. I swear." "And what gives you such confidence?" asked Sereb, glaring at Fa Lian. "Woman's intuition. Now when we are done here, you will go, tell him how you feel, and when he says yes. Then you can kiss, and not worry bout someone else taking him away.." "You keep talking bout someone taking him away from me, do you know something that I don't?" Sereb stared at Fa Lian, seeing her shift a bit, hiding something.

"Well.. no.. just.. well." "Do you like Ele?" "No! But I am not stupid. He's a gladiator, and a lot of people remember what he did on the first day to Phriz when he barely touched you. A lot of girls like the protective bad boy types, and the only reason they haven't swarmed him yet is cause they are waiting. Waiting to see who makes the first move." "But.. they why would.. I just.." "Calm down, breath. In, then out.." Fa Lian said, trying to calm down her confused friend.

"Look, I am not perfectly certain this is the case, -but- you need to act before someone else does. To avoid him making a choice.." Fa Lian continued, seeing a small nod from Sereb. Fa Lian frowned as she saw a flash of doubt cross Sereb's face. But the pair kept walking.

The pair of girls entered the forge, throwing the wood into the scrap pile, Sereb fuming quietly. "Sereb, you've been my best friend since we both moved here, and we've always talked bout this, your love for Ele. You've had this crush for years, what is stopping you from telling him?" asked Fa Lian, trying to tease a responds out from the quiet wolf girl.

"Cause.. it just.. doesn't seem fair.. he taught me how to fight, protected me, and done so much.. I feel as if asking him out is just another thing he'd do for the sake of being nice.. I don't want to have that kind of relationship.. I want to stand next to him as an equal, someone he can turn to and say. 'Watch my back'. That's who I want to be..." Tears streamed down Sereb's face as she attempted to wipe them away, ashamed that she was crying. "Until then, I will stay quiet, and just enjoy his company.. remind myself that I need to work harder. And if I am not strong enough, then I don't deserve him.."

Fa Lian took two hesitant steps towards Sereb, before wrapping her arms around Sereb, hugging her gently. "Shhh shh.. it's ok.." Fa Lian let Sereb cry until she finished, patting her back, doing the best she could to comfort her. "Sorry for forcing all of this.." "It's.. alright..*sniff* It needed to be said.. I'm sorry you had to see this.." "It's fine.. and you worry too much.. you are an excellent huntress, and I'm sure Ele relies on you, remember when you told me bout what happened in initiation? He trusted you there. A whole lot of trust since he could have skewered alive if you missed. So take a breath, and relax. Worrying is just going to make it worse."

Sereb took long, deep breaths, clearing her head. "Thanks Fa Lian.." "No problem kitten. Now come on, we better get back to everyone before they send out a search party for us."

**AN: Sorry for the late update, stuff happened. But yes, more to come, and I'll try to get back to the small chapter every day, or every other day. Hope everyone enjoyed it and thanks for reading! :)**


	11. Cause No One was Expecting This

_Hm.. a lot of armor plating.. tail? No, I could probably cut it off, but I have a feeling that would a) make it mad, b) not be that serious a wound and c) all of the above. Probably have to tackle this like a taijitu solo. Wear it down, get in get out. Could go for the eyes.. no. Legs would be better. Reduce mobility. It's a weakness is it's sides, less armor and no direct means of attack._ Ele rubbed the bridge of his nose, having spent most of the day reading books with text designed to cause headaches.

Ele grabbed a candy out of his pocket, popping it into his mouth, before offering one to Alcee who had been kind enough to help him with the project he put off for too long. The strawberry blonde sat across from him, working away at her own project, before seeing the offered sweet. "Thank you."

Ele nodded, before returning his eyes to the book. _Nope.. just nope.. enough of this.._Ele closed the book, seeing that Jin had fallen asleep. "Big guy must be tired.. it would be nice to know what he does every Friday..." Ele said to himself mostly, curious as to what Jin did every Friday, but wasn't going to pry.

Alcee looked up from her work again. "A job maybe?" "Hm?" "Maybe he has a job?" "That only gives hours on a Friday night? Hm.. bouncer?" "He'd have the bulk for it." "True, but I don't see him as the time that could scare someone away.. he's a giant teddy bear more than anything else." "Says the person never having to fight him." "Touche."

Ele stood up. "Ah.. well, so long as it doesn't affect performance, and he's happy. I don't care." Ele strolled over, looking down at Jin. _Completely knocked out... wish I could fall asleep like that._

"Ele. On the topic of leisure time. Do you have any plans tonight?" said Alcee, in a casual tone. "Nothing, I was planning to do my project, but since that is out of the way, I'll be free. Why?" Ele sat back down, looking at Alcee, confusion clear on his face. "I am going into town for dinner, and wish to have some company." She continued, looking at Ele, her face unreadable. "And I am the guest of honor because?" "Because I wish to get to know you." "In what context?" "As a pair of friends having dinner. Any implications you are thinking of are your own." Ele blinked. "Oh.. um.. sure? I would be happy to join you." "Splendid. You will meet me outside my dorm at 7pm sharp." Alcee stood up, gently dusting off her skirt, and left Ele even more confused as she curtsied before him, then left.

Jin yawned and woke up, finally having had enough sleep. 'Aaaah.. gah... I miss anything?' "Yes.. you couldn't have woken up 10 seconds earlier?" 'I was still tired ten seconds ago. Sorry boss man. What I miss?' "I think Alcee asked me out on a date tonight.." '...' "..." 'And you said?' "Yes.." 'Why?' "Cause it would have been rude to say no if she just wanted to have dinner as a pair of friends?" 'Boss man... I respect you.. so I'll be sure to give you a good word in your eulogy.' Jin stood up. 'Now, I'm going to go find Svend and them. Good luck on the date.' "Oh, before you go." 'Hm?' "What was the purpose of the sound effects being typed out?" 'Dramatic impact.' "Ah, ok. Have fun Jin... I'll be here trying to figure out what happened." Jin waved and walked away, heading off to find the trio of man-children.

* * *

Sereb looked at Ele, as he got dressed. "Did she tell you what kind of place you were going?" "I haven't the slightest idea.." commented Ele, looking at himself in the mirror, attempting to fix his tie. Sereb stood up, turning Ele around to help him with the tie. "Thanks."

"Not a problem.. though if it's a dinner between friends, wouldn't casual clothes be better?" Sereb jerked on the tie, trying to keep her voice level. Ele smiled. "Thanks again.. any advice?" "As what? Someone who's never had a date before?" "As an attractive young faunus who knows what her fellow women wants." Ele said matter of factually, getting smacked lightly for his troubles.

"Shut up... as for advice.. just.. talk to her." Sereb turned around, hiding her beat red face. "I'll take that to heart.. By the way, you free tomorrow?" Asked Ele taking off the dress shirt and tie, laying them down onto his bed before grabbing another set of clothes. "Also, keep turned around for a moment, I'm changing."

Sereb nodded, her back still to Ele. "Alright.. and yes, I am free tomorrow. Me, Phriz and Fa Lian were going to go shopping in the morning since there is a sale at Quarters. We hope to get back a bit after lunch. Why?" "The Dark Festival finally movie came out, and Frederick sent me a pair of tickets."

Sereb blinked, turning around to see Ele in a dark pair of jeans, and a light blue t-shirt. "Why not take Alcee to the movie? It's an action movie, so wouldn't it be perfect for a date? Also you may want to lose the hat." Sereb reached her hand up, trying to grab the beanie off Ele's head, before he backed up. "Ah ah ah. Not taking off the hat. You know that. Only comes off on laundry days and on special occasions."

Sereb raised an eyebrow. "And a first date is not a special occasion? Also I didn't take you for the type to two-time on a girl." Ele shrugged, fixing his hat so that it covered most of his hair. "I am not going on a date. I am having dinner with a friend. I will be polite, a gentleman and once the night is over I will pay the bill. On the walk back to the dorm, I will tell her that I am delighted for her attention, but I am in no position to be in a relationship at this time. I'll thank her for her time, and try to be gentle." Ele sighed, grabbing a watch out of his dresser, along with a pair of rings, sliding one onto each index finger.

"Um.. what?" Sereb asked, not expecting that answer. "So.. why are you going on this date if you are just going to turn her down?" Ele tossed on his usual coat, but left it unbuttoned. "It's easier to do this than just say no. Lacing the poison with sugar sort of deal." "I see.. any reason why you are turning her down?" Sereb couldn't stop herself from asking, a small spark of hope in her eyes.

Ele patted his pants, making sure he had everything, until he was satisfied. "Yes. Most of them boil down to me unwilling to commit at this moment, and while I hate to say it. Alcee is a beautiful girl, polite, smart and fun to talk to, but not my preferred type. Shallow, I know, but I am male. Forgive me for my many flaws. I'll try my best to not lead her on, and be as blunt as needed. Though if I do something stupid, I do hope that she'll make me regret it."

Sereb laughed quietly. "Don't do anything stupid then.. good luck.." _Well.. if he actually does what he said he will.. I dodged a major bullet.. but for how long.. Fa Lian might be right. I can't just stand around and wait anymore.._ Ele waved, giving a short chuckle as he left. Once he was gone Sereb collapsed onto her bed, looking at the time. _6:45... I'll send Fa Lian a message once I'm sure they've left.. Time for this hunter to actually earn her stripes._ Sereb grinned nervously.

**AN: Hope you all enjoyed, please leave a review if you have any suggestions :) See you all later with more~**


	12. One Day

**AN: Thought I'd add another chapter, cause why not. Hope you all enjoy :P And I apologize for any terrible descriptions in advance. Anyways, have fun~**

"No, I am not wearing this. I look terrible in dresses.. and the hat bothers my ears." Sereb complained as one of her wolf ears started to itch. Taking off the hat got a collective groan from the peanut gallery. "This is the 6th outfit.. and you are running out of time.." said Fa Lian, looking over the red dress that clung to her friends body.

"She does have a point though.. red isn't her colour.. something more neutral... don't want to really go grey.. or pure white.. might make you look like a ghost if you get any paler.. how bout black?" suggested Phriz as he looked Sereb over. "Yes, but the last thing we need is for her to go all black and.. hm.. idea.. I'll be right back. Phriz, why don't you show her some of the stuff you found in case she likes it."

Phriz nodded as Fa Lian wandered off to find something. The trio having came to the store to help Sereb find an outfit for her 'Not a date' with Ele. "Ok, got a few rings and stuff. I'm more of an accessory guy personally. Fa Lian has a better eye for clothes.. hm, no. These earrings won't work.. need to draw attention to you, not the bling."

Sereb smiled, happy that a couple of months after initiation she was able to get along so well with Phriz. Sereb was always impressed with the way Phriz would dress in a casual setting. He wore his long purple hair in a loose pony tale tied at the back, showing off the various gemstones and silver work hanging from his ears. A loose-fitting sleeveless hoodie that showed off the gallary artwork that decorated his slender arms and a ripped pair of jeans.

"Thanks for this Phriz.. I didn't mean to drag you two along just to help me with my terrible sense of style.." "It's alright Sherry berry. Lunch alone was worth the trip. Next time we get a chance I'm dragging Rozene down here." Phriz smiled, finally as he started comparing bracelets and rings.

"Alright, this should work perfectly." said Fa Lian as she came back with an evil grin on her face, scaring Sereb a bit. "What do you have?" "Try it on, and you'll see." Sereb sighed, taking the clothes offered to her before stepping back into the changing room.

* * *

"Yes.. this will do perfectly.. What do you think Phriz?" "I agree.. I think I even have some stuff back in the room that'll add to it." Sereb looked in the mirror. "I want the record to show.. I like it.. but I hate you both.."

* * *

Ele stood outside his dorm room, in some dark slacks and a long sleeve shirt, his jacket hanging open, wondering what was taking Sereb so long. _What is taking her so long.. I didn't think she'd want to be late.._ Ele looked down at his watch. _Hm.. nah, we got a bit of time._ Ele yawned, Jin having worked him over hard in their sparing practice today. _A movie will be a nice way to relax._

Ele absent-mindedly played with the ring on his left hand, before getting the feeling he was being watched. Looking around he saw Alcee standing across the hall from him. _Oh bother.._ "Hello Alcee, may I help you with something?"

"No. I was simply here to thank you for your company last night, and that we are able to stay as friends without allowing what happened to affect out working relationship." Alcee said, still in the neutral tone that bothered Ele so much. "Do not worry, I had fun as well, and I'd be happy to offer my assistance in whatever I can for you and your team." Ele smiled as Alcee turned, leaving him alone, feeling as if he lost some sort of battle. _Well.. that was weird.._

* * *

Ele looked as his watch again. _Ok.. now I need to tell her to hurry up, or we will be late._ Ele wasn't concerned bout terrible seats, since the tickets were reserved, but he didn't want them to miss anything since one of the best things bout going to the movies was seeing the trailers.

"Hey, are you three done in there? We are going to miss the airship. Come on, we are going to see a movie, not attending some ball with... a... prince?" Ele blinked, losing his train of thought as the door opened. "Um.." Ele wasn't sure where to look as Sereb stood before him. _Oh dust.._

* * *

Sereb's face was bright red as she stood before Ele, noticing him look her over, a bit stunned. _Stunned is good, right? Fa Lian said it'd make his jaw drop, and it looks like it's having that effect. _Sereb thought to herself as she brushed her hand over a silver and sapphire earring that Phriz had clipped onto her left ear. In truth she was wearing a lot more jewelry than she was used to, with bracelets, rings and earrings that Phriz lent to her. "How.. how do I look?" Sereb asked nervously, waiting to run back in and change into normal clothes at the drop of a hat.

* * *

Ele blinked as Sereb stood there nervously, his attention being mostly drawn to her shirt. Or lack of one. Sereb wore a loose silver v-neck shirt that didn't cover the majority of her back, the line of fabric that held up the rest of her shirt looking dangerously thin and terrible. Ele glanced down, looking at the black pair of designer jeans that clung to her hips, which in combination with the shirt reminded Ele stood before a young women, not his best friend from the playground.

Ele blinked back into reality as he heard Sereb ask him how she looked. Running a hand through his hair, Ele took a moment to get his bearings together. "You look amazing.. beautiful.. should I get changed?" Ele smiled nervously, this having been the second time that his for lack of a better term 'date' had made him feel under dressed.

* * *

Sereb smiled. _Ok, follow Fa Lian's advice. Step one. Get close._ Sereb moved closer to Ele, grabbing hold of his arm, before bringing it closer to her chest. "You look fine, and we better hurry, don't want to miss the airship, do we?" Sereb looked up at Ele, teasing him a bit before dragging him along by the arm, keeping a firm grip on Ele's arm as they walked, not letting him escape.

"So..." Ele said, as he kept his eyes forward, obviously trying to think of something to say. _He's not looking at me.. is that good? Phriz said if he stares he likes it.. He was staring earlier.. yes.. he was.. oh dust.._ Sereb looked at the ground, hiding her red cheeks as they kept walking.

Ele finally broke the silence with a bit of conversation. "After the movie I was thinking we grab a bite to eat, unless you just want movie candy." Ele still wasn't looking at her, seeming to avoid eye contact. "Dinner sounds nice. Where were you thinking?" Sereb gave Ele's arm a small tug, hoping to get his attention.

Ele held firm with his gaze, seeing the airship approaching. "There is a nice burger place down the road from the theatre." The pair entered the airship, standing at the observation room. Sereb leaned her head against Ele's shoulder, looking over the grey city below them.

_A burger place.. really?_ "A burger sounds good.." Sereb said quietly. _How do I get him to take a hint... _Sereb gave Ele's arm a squeeze, causing him to look down at her, curious as to what she wanted, before bringing his eyes back up to just above her head. "You read the books, right? Think the movie will change a lot of things?" Ele asked, trying to break the silence that kept reappearing.

"Dunno. But if Orion is changed into some spoiled rich brat instead of his amazingly brilliant self, I won't be happy..." Sereb said as they left the airship, making their way down the street. Eventually the pair both calmed down enough, talking to each other normally, discussing classes and what they've been up to lately.

* * *

Sereb sat down in her seat, finally letting go of Ele's arm, almost having forgotten she was touching him. Sereb looked at Ele as he leaned back in the chair. _Should he have made a move.. or is it too early.. might be too early.. do I make a move? Would that scare him off? No.. Don't think so.. Ele values strength above anything else... but Alcee was a strong women.. and she wasn't his type.. what if he just meant physically... maybe he doesn't like blondes?_

Sereb started to lose herself in her own thoughts before Ele poked her, offering her some popcorn. "Thanks.." Sereb said quietly as she took a handful. Ele nodded, looking at the screen as they waited for the show to start. "You know, you never said why you are dressed like that." He said, curious as to why the usually conservative dressed faunus suddenly dressed in a more revealing manner.

"Ah.. well.. do you not like it?" "No, it's amazing, and you look beautiful, I'm just trying to figure out why the sudden change... are you feeling alright?" Ele said, looking at Sereb a bit worried. Sereb looked at Ele, confused as Ele put his hand on her forehead as if checking for a fever.

"I'm not sick.. I just wanted to.. try something different.. is that a crime?" Sereb said, a bit defensively. Ele removed his hand, swearing she was a bit warm. "Sorry. Just that.. not used to you like this.." Ele chuckled. "Guess I'm just being paranoid... I shouldn't bug you for it. Sorry Sugar Tooth."

Sereb smiled a bit. "Don't worry, what kind of person would I be if I didn't listen to the ramblings of my crazy boss." "Ouch.. that one hurt.." Ele pouted. "Shush, the movie is starting." Sereb put a hand over Ele's mouth, quieting him as the trailers began. Sereb leaned on Ele, resting her head against his shoulder, not getting any response. _Thank dust.. he said I was beautiful.._


	13. Two Nights

Ele sat on a bench in the change room, cooling down after the weekly training they held for team JSPE and FRSA. Svend, Jin and Rozene had already left, hoping that the cafeteria was still open. Phriz had opted to have a shower here instead of back in the dorm, and asked for Ele to wait for him, for some unexplained reason.

So Ele sat, chin resting on his balled up hands as he listened to a bit of music playing through his scroll. Phriz kept his shower short, probably knowing that Ele wanted to get back to the room to finish up some last-minute homework and condition his weapons.

Emerging from the stalls, Ele got a good look at Phriz's chest which had even more ink on it than his arms, with long strings of old Atlasian letters spiralling all over his body and back. Ele could swear that the more he stared, the more different pictures started to appear and disappear before Ele shook his head, looking back at the floor as he waited for Phriz to get dressed.

Phriz sat across from Ele after throwing on a plain lightish red shirt and his combat jeans. "You really know how to work a team to the brink.. I don't know bout Jin, but practice nights are probably the hardest part of this school.. Hehe. Not even old man Crat's pop quiz's scare me as much as you do and those damn knives." Phriz grinned at Ele, casting a glance at Lex and Jussum as they hung in their holsters.

"I try my best. A leader's greatest strength is their teammates. And I lucked out with the teammates I got." Ele smirked back, getting the feeling this isn't why Phriz asked him to stick around.

"So, how was the movie with Sereb? Haven't heard much bout it from either of you." Phriz asked out of nowhere, seeing Ele blink.

"That was two days ago, what about it? We went to see a movie, got a burger after. We had a small run in with some punks who made a rather.. rude.. pass at Sereb. Nothing special. She managed to scare them off with Zima.. I have no idea where she was hiding it, but hey." Ele shrugged a bit. "Though I do admit, it was awkward to ask for my coat back yesterday.."

Phriz blinked. "That's it? Nothing special happened? How'd she look?"

Ele shrugged slighty. "She looked great I guess.. I'm guessing it was you and Rozene that forced her into that outfit?"

"Fa Lian. I just did the accessories. She looks good with silver and sapphires, not my type, but I can still appreciate the beauty." corrected Phriz.

"Well guess that makes sense... why are we even talking bout this Phriz?" Ele asked, a look crossing his face that Phriz hadn't seen before. Was it worry? Apprehension?

"You know why.. I've known Sereb for a little more than a few months. She's a sweet girl. You've known her for 7 years, and apparently can't see what's in front of your own face. Do I really have to spell it out for you boss man?" Phriz watched as the look changed to defeat. Wait, why defeat?

Ele sighed, resting the top of his head against his knuckles. "Phriz, you don't need to spell things out.. I figured it out awhile ago... I thank you for the concern, but this is not your issue to deal with."

"Boss man. What's up? Are you scared she'll reject you? You aren't that stupid, you've seen how she looks at you most of the time. Why not just say yes? You are a hunter in training. It's not like we have a long shelf life. Go and have some fun while you can." Phriz said, trying to sound encouraging, even if his words were a bit morbid.

"Phriz.. On Sereb's left leg, just above her knee, there is a scar. All that remains of a wound that nearly killed her. I made a promise when I met Sereb that I would protect her.. I plan on fulfilling that promise to my dying breath, and beyond if needed. I will not fail twice. Until I am strong enough, I will keep playing the fool. I have already waited years, I can wait a couple months more.." Ele said quietly, not able to look at Phriz.

"What happens in a couple of months?" Asked Phriz, now confused at was Ele was talking bout.

"The Tyrant shall finally take the crown. I shall defeat an invincible warrior. And the moment that I have won, I'll tell Sereb my feelings..."

"And if you lose?"

"Simple. I won't."

* * *

Sereb sat on Fa Lian's bed, using a cloth to clean Snegm, before loading a set of fresh rounds. "Hey Fa Lian, you got a flat-head on you? Something was up with Zima in the last round, and I want to take a lot at her."

Alcee lent over, looking through the small tool box that Svend let everyone use, grabbing a small screwdriver, before passing it to Sereb. "Here you go." The two teams minus Phriz, Ele and Jin having gathered in team FRSA's room to do their usual after practice weapon care.

"Ah, thank you Alcee. Hm.. how is Ali? You were flying around the training arena earlier. A new type of dust?" Sereb said, trying to make a bit of conversation as she took Zima apart, checking each mechanism for wear, tear or defects.

"Yes, a blend of fire, and kinetic. Figuring out the proper proportions was an excruciating process. I eventually had to ask Rozene for assistance." Alcee said, not taking her eyes off of the claymore that lay on her bed, as she polished the rivets and groves in the blade, till the blade shined.

"Pleeease, no need to worry bout it Alcy. Just helping out a teammate. And I always love a challenge. Unlike that brute Svendy, and our glorious leader Faffy, who always use the same types of dust all the time~ Even my little Phrizy is too scared to try some of the combinations I mix~ It's a shame when you are the bravest on the team~" Rozene sighed to himself, on the receiving end of a couple stuck out tongues at his whining.

"Speaking of~ Sereb~ Do tell~ Why does Ele not use dust?~" Rozene asked, as he finished restringing Tia, setting the bow aside, having finished with his maintenance for tonight.

Sereb shrugged, honestly not knowing. "I think it's a paranoia thing with him. A gun, or any dust using weapon, no matter how well cared for has a possibility of jamming when it'd be least convenient. I don't think Ele would risk even that small chance when he can tear through most Grimm with a pair of knives."

"And dem rings of his. We always be seeing him wear them, but that bro never uses them. What up with that, Sereb?" Svend added, having finished the maintenance on his axes as well, as he sat down at his desk chair, kicking his feet up to rest on his bed.

Sereb shrugged again, even though she knew the answer to that question. "It's cause the rings need a lot of concentration to use properly apparently. He only uses them in tournaments.. or when fighting against a pair of people, cause that's what they were designed to do. They weren't made to hunt Grimm." Sereb stated like the old news it was to her, as she began to reassemble Zima, having found the issue, a small bit of dirt that somehow got stuck inside of the revolver's workings.

"Pardon, but why would Ele require or make weapons designed solely for taking another person's life?" Alcee asked, as confused as the rest of Team FRSA.

"Oh sorry.." Sereb blushed. "They aren't his.. they are an heirloom from his grandfather. Apparently he was a prize-fighter like Ele in his youth, and he used those rings to make a decent living. If I remember Gramps logic it was something like 'Girly, do you fight a ursa with a kitchen knife? How bout cutting apart a steak with a sword? No, of course not, that's stupid. You use a weapon designed to kill Grimm on Grimm! That's what I did! I made a weapon designed to deal with humans against humans!'" Sereb said in the voice she and Ele always used when talking bout Gramps, doing their best to make themselves as gravelly and old as possible.

Sereb's shift in voice caused everyone to laugh, even getting a small chuckle out of Alcee. Sereb laughed a bit as well. "Really wasn't that funny guys.."

A small rap on the door interrupted the conversation. Rozene stood up, guessing that it was Phriz. Rozene walked over to the door. "It's open~" Rozene said as he got ready.

The moment the door opened, Rozene pounced. "Phrizy~ Took you long enou-" Instead of the thin frame of Phriz, or even the more muscled bulk of Ele, Rozene's arms wrapped around the mass of Jin, giving him a huge hug that barely went halfway around his body.

Jin blinked, not having expected the attack, looking down at Rozene with a face that said 'Really?' Jin took out his scroll, tapping a message out as Rozene took a step back, and blushed. 'As I've said to Phriz, I am perfectly cool with cuddling, just that you two aren't my first choice. So why don't you save it till tomorrow night, lover boy?' Jin smiled innocently at Rozene.

"Hmph~ So rude~" Rozene turned his head, but smiled just the same. Jin was a guy almost everyone got along with cause he was quiet and fun to be around. "What's up Jin?~ Seen Ele and Phriz?~ They should be here by now~"

Jin nodded, as he typed another message seeming to have remembered why he was here. 'Boss man and Phriz are on their way to the Headmaster's office. I was the unlucky one sent to gather everyone else. So chop chop, orders from the top. Team's Jasper and Freesia to the Headmaster's office pronto.'

**AN: More action to come, I swear~ Hope everyone is enjoying the fiction, not getting any reviews has left me typing blind, so ah well. Thanks for reading and see you all later~ (hopefully)**


	14. With a Ruling on the Field

"Ah, there you are. I was worried that since I rarely see students, especially first years, that you might have gotten lost. I'll try to keep this short since it's already.. geez 8 already. Time flies. Anyways. Team Jasper, and Team Freesia. I assume you are all here?" Headmaster Moira asked, as Sereb shut the door behind her.

"Ah, good 8 bodies, 2 teams. Should be fine." Moira stood up, fixing her top hat so that it moved her long blonde hair to cover the eye patch over her left eye. "You are all probably wondering why you are here. Especially all at once." She continued.

The group of 8 nodded, coming to a quiet agreement that it'd be best to just let her talk. Moira walked to the front of her desk, before sitting down on top of it. Moira straightened her left cusp. "Well, you are here cause I got a job for you kiddo's. And yes, I know, normally we would just send out second years, third years, forth years, whatever. But no. Most of them are already busy, and I don't think it'll be too hard. Anyways, you are a competent group. I would know, I picked all of you to attend my school."

Moira crossed her legs, the fabric of her suit wrinkling slightly as she watched their faces, getting a bit of surprise, and excitement. _Good, now let's see if they can put the energy you use._

"You'll be helping out the Atlas police in a raid. Well, you will basically be the raid. Can't really blame the cops, after all. They are to protect and serve, not be an army without the silly ranks. Oh now I'm babbling. Here" Moira continued as she grabbed a few files off her desk, handing them to Fa Lian.

"Most of the details are in there. You will leave tomorrow at 9, and meet up at the police station. They'll give you more details. As for how this will work.. two groups.. hmm.. Fa Lian, you are active leader of this mission, with Phriz as second command. Any issues with that?" Moira looked at the two leaders, expecting opposition from Ele at being second fiddle.

"No ma'am." Ele said, not seeming to really care who would be in charge.

"I'm cool with it. Anything else Headmaster?" Fa Lian asked.

"Not at all. Not you kiddo's run along. And don't forget. Airship leaves at 9, be on it or your marks will be severely hampered for abandoning a mission." Moira grinned, seeing a couple panicked expressions at the mention of mark deductions.

"But do well, and you'll all get a boost to your marks." She finished. "Now get out of here. You kiddo's need your sleep." Moira said, flicking her hand at them.

* * *

Outside the headmaster's office on the way back to their dorms, the two teams talked quietly, speculating what they'd be facing. Sereb kept an eye on Ele, trying to see what he was thinking, getting nothing but a desire to sleep. Eventually the groups came to their dorms, everyone saying good night, till Fa Lian stopped Ele.

"Ele, got a quick second?" She asked in a tone that didn't recommend being told 'no'.

Ele yawned and stretched, motioning for Sereb to go inside, knowing she'd hear it anyways. "How can I help you Fa Lian?" said now that the conversation was as private as it was going to get.

"Just wanted to be sure that you are cool with not being leader.. just. Doesn't seem your style. I want to know that I'm not going to be second guessed every step of the way, or having people doing things they aren't supposed to." Fa Lian stared at Ele as she spoke, the only response she got was a quiet yawn.

"Fa Lian, you are the boss on this mission. I'm cool playing second in command. I trust you to make the right calls, so no worries. Tomorrow will be a piece of cake. Now I hate to be rude, but I swear that Rozene hit me with a tranq during the team spar, and I am really tired, so I'm going to bed. Good night Fa Lian." Ele waved a bit, as he opened the door to his room, leaving Fa Lian satisfied with his answer.

* * *

Sereb did another ammo check, making sure that she prepared and loaded as they entered the police headquarters, nervous from being on her first mission. Fa Lian led them, a confident stride in her walk as she was directed to the officers they'd be working with today, Lowry and Richards.

"Pleasure to meet you Ms. Chiko. Officer Richards, I'm running the police side of things for this operation. This is my partner Officer Lowry. She'll be catching you up to speed on what's going on, and what we need you to do." Richards said, his voice gruff as he shook Fa Lian's hand after she was introduced as the group's leader.

Sereb took a moment to look over the officers, Richards being a middle-aged man with a few streaks of grey running through his hair black crew cut, and a small paunch, but Sereb could see that he hid a good amount of muscle under the uniform as well. Richards sported a grey beard as well, which he seemed to keep to a relatively short length that lined his jaw, standing at what Sereb guessed was the same height as Ele.

Lowry seemed to be the younger of the pair, with a few less wrinkles on her tanned skin, and chocolate-brown hair. She was a tad shorter than Richards, and had a thinner frame, but seemed to be in good physical shape. Both officer's wore the navy blue uniforms, with their guns strapped to their sides.

"If you eight would follow me to the briefing room, I would like to start now." Lowry said softly, as Richards disappeared to take care of another matter. The group followed Lowry to a room that was just down the hall. They entered to see a hologram of a warehouse being projected over a table.

"This is the building that is our target. It is down by the wharfs at dock 7. Holed up inside are from what we have gathered a couple hundred or so White Fang members. And while atlas is a tolerant city for faunus. We do not allow known terrorists to simply walk around without a trip to a holding cell first. The mission is simple Go in, knock as many people out as possible. Use lethal force only as necessary, because the more we take alive, the more info we can gather. Now, we do have 1 high priority target. A certain rat..."

Pressing an assortment of buttons on the table caused the holographic building to be replaced with a portfolio picture of a man, with black hair that covered his eyes, with a small pair of mouse ears sticking out from the mess. "This, is Dubh Rinn. Looks like a small time delivery boy for them. That's because he is. Bottom rung of the totem pole this one."

The picture shifted at the touch of a button, giving a full look at Dubh in casual clothes, all looking a bit dirty and worse for wear. "The interesting thing bout our little friend here is that he knows everything. He's been with them since the beginning, spent as much of his life in the White Fang as possible, but has yet to get farther than coffee boy for them. Sadly for them, and him. Dubh knows the locations, real names and much more of all the big players. He is the straw that breaks the camels back. We get him, we get a bite at the throat of the White Fang."

The group nodded, even the faunus trio, having no real love for the White Fang even if they understood their reasons. "Alright, now.. down to the nitty-gritty. The plan is.."


	15. Judgement

Hours passed, till Ele and Sereb stood on the roof of the building across from the target, having been assigned to take grab the target, while the rest were to cause distracts and carry out the actual raid. Sereb did one last ammo check, making sure that she had loaded the tranquilizer bullets given to them. The pair kept silent, knowing that any sound they made could alert the wrong people of their presence.

Sereb cast a glance at Ele, who gave her a small nod. _Ready, set, go I guess. _Sereb took a few steps back to get a running start, before leaping across the roof tops, landing on the target with barely a sound, even to her own faunus ears. Ele simply jumped down to the ground, disappearing from her sights. _He's fine, all part of the plan._

Sereb quietly walked over to a skylight, treading carefully as she looked inside, seeing the massive interior, with White Fang personnel walking around inside the labyrinth of a storage facility. Grabbing the lip of the window, Sereb managed to slowly open the window to just wide enough so that she could slip in once the coast was clear, dropping down onto the walkway beneath her.

Sereb kept her eyes open as she moved from cover spot to cover spot, waiting for the distractions to start. _Stick to the plan, find Dubh. If he joins in on the idiots making a last stand then, yay, less work for me. If he runs away like expected we got to catch him. _Sereb held her breath as a random guard passed her position, watching with fear as he slowly walked by, Sereb's combat gear blending in enough with the cargo and the darkness that the guard didn't actively notice any difference.

As soon as the guard had his back to her, Sereb started to stalk him quietly till they got into a blind spot, where Sereb pounced, putting one hand over the unsuspecting man's mouth to silence him before quickly drawing Snegm, unloading a tranquilizer round into the man's back, knocking him out before he had a chance to struggle with barely a whisper. Sereb slowly laid the guard down, picking up the bullet casing and pocketing it for later.

Once the guard was laid flat, Sereb looked around for the next one, catching movement below her, hearing a pair of familiar footsteps. _He wouldn't.._ Sereb looked down to see Ele stroll by, having put on a White Fang uniform. _He would.. _Sereb kept an eye on Ele as he made his way through the warehouse, occasionally stopping to chat with another member, asking bout Dubh, saying the boss wants to see him for something. _In retrospect, his semblance is perfect for this kind of work._

So the patterned continued, Ele slowly working his way, chatting with the lower level members, skillfully avoiding anyone who might question his presence, while Sereb shadowed him from above on the walk ways, knocking out guards that she could safely, making sure to leave them in positions as if they fell asleep, just in case. _Come on Ele.. we don't got much time left.._

Ele had apparently heard her thoughts and had responded by finally finding someone who knew where Dubh was. _Already talking to the boss of this place.. great.. guess the frying pan wasn't hot enough, lets get right into that flame. _Ele nodded a thank you to the White Fang grunt, before heading in the direction he was pointed in. Sereb went off in the same direction as well, but with a little more speed, beating Ele to their destination.

Sereb looked at the small cement room that stuck out into the warehouse like a sore thumb. Sereb vaulted over the safety railings, onto the roof of single room, keeping low as she looked for an opening. Eventually finding an air filter than separated the room from the majority of the warehouse. _A good thing this puppy doesn't filter noise, or I'd be in some big trouble._

Sereb waited as Ele made his way over, finally knocking on the door. With all the people Sereb couldn't hear clearly, but she could make up the sound of Ele's voice, talking to someone before inevitably being let in. As Ele distracted group with his conversation, Sereb used that moment to quickly remove the dusty air filter that blocked her way.

With her vision clear, she could now see identify Dubh. The short man was talking to someone. _Probably the boss if I had to bet. Everyone else is in uniform, so guess he's important._ Sereb scanned the room. 6 people. Dubh and the boss, with 2 pairs of body guards at the doors. _4 for me, 2 for Ele. That might impress him. _Sereb grinned as Ele walked forward, making a bit of small talk with Dubh, saying he was sent here with a message from the people in Mistral.

Sereb kept her ears open, waiting for the signal from Ele. "So recruit, what is so important that Heribert had to send an actual messenger, instead of a message over scroll?" The boss asked, not pleased with having been interrupted.

"I'm sorry Sir Salibar, but it rather important. The boss man couldn't risk it being intercepted electronically, so I was deliver the letter in person." Ele brought his left hand up, reaching into the folds of his cloth as if to grab a parcel of paper. "A letter for one, Sugar Tooth."

Sereb didn't hesitate as Ele gave the signal, dropping down through the hole in the roof, firing off 6 shots at the bodyguards standing by the door before she even hit the floor, adding another two to finish off the pair that only got one full dose, instead of two.

* * *

As Sereb dropped down, firing a hail of bullets with her revolvers, Ele whipped out a standard law enforcement, firing off two shots, one hitting Salibar square in the shoulder, but the second barely grazing him. _For dust's sakes, this is why I don't use guns, too much of a pain._ Ele charged forward before Salibar could launch a counter attack, pressing the barrel of the gun to Salibar's neck before pulling the trigger. _Well, he should live. If not, ah well, he wasn't the main prize.. speaking of._ Ele turned to see if Sereb had nabbed Dubh after his slip up.

Instead of seeing Dubh, sleeping on the floor, he saw the mouse faunus with a knife pressed against Sereb's throat. _A true coward then._

"Hey! Hands where I can see them, and drop the gun punk! Or the girl gets it!" Dubh shouted, his voice high-pitched and pitiful. Ele responded by tossing the gun on the ground, a bit happy be rid of the weapon as he raised his arms up to show that he was unarmed.

"Good! Now step kick the gun over here. No funny business! Or this lovely lady will be getting a new mouth to whistle 'Miss Daisy' out of!" Dubh accidentally applied an ounce of pressure to the knife as he yelled, drawing a small line of blood.

Ele froze at the sight of blood, or more specifically the sight of Sereb's blood. Ele's face went from concerned to fearsome as his aura started to pour out of him, igniting the air around his head into a flaming halo. Dubh stood frozen in fear as he saw Ele's expression change to unfiltered rage. In a desperate attempt to get rid of the monster standing before him, Dubh moved to slash Sereb's throat.

* * *

Sereb stood stock still, railing herself for being so stupid and weak as to used as a hostage by a little weasel like Dubh. Sereb didn't react as she felt the knife dig into her skin a bit, drawing a tiny drop of blood, nor did she outwardly react as she saw Ele's face change, or his aura explode out of him, the halo forming above his head. Sereb felt Dubh move behind her, probably trying to end her life out of fear for letting her live before Ele opened his mouth, his words carrying a strength she knew well. "Stop."

"Drop the knife." Ele said, staring at Dubh with utter disgust, Dubh's body obeying the command even as his mind screamed to do anything but throw away his only life line.

Ele took a single step forward, his eyes glowing in an azure blaze that Sereb couldn't look directly at. "Step away from her." Again Dubh's body obeyed against his wishes. Sereb gently rubbed her neck, letting her aura fix the small cut as she watched Ele slowly advance on Dubh, knowing he could take as long as he wanted now that Ele had finally used his semblance, Tyrant's Absolution.

Ele stood before Dubh, looking down at the small creature, his aura pouring out of him, the halo becoming jagged, as the fire in Ele's eyes grew, seeming to burn into Dubh's aura, making him submit. "Kneel."

Dubh knelt before Ele, tears streaming down his face as he anticipated his execution. "Pl- please.. spare me.. I'm.. I'm just a glorified delivery boy.. please! I'll change my ways. I swear!"

Ele took out Lex, gently turning it around in his hand. "I do not care for excuses. I do not care for reasons. You have attempted to kill Sereb, and this is a crime that will weigh heavily against you... Accept your judgement with grace, and pray that you might be worthy of being called scum in your next life."

Ele put Lex back into it's sheath, before leveling Dubh with a kick to the throat, holding him down with his foot as Dubh struggled and fought for breath. Ele kept his shoe in place as he felt Dubh slowly stop resisting as he passed out. Ele removed his foot from Dubh's next with a sigh of disgust as he had to let the faunus live, spitting on the unconscious body.

* * *

Sereb stared at Ele as things unfolded, both scared and embarrassed that Ele would go to such lengths for her. Once Ele had removed his foot, Sereb slowly came up behind him, seeing the blue glow dissipate before placing a hand on his shoulder, knowing how much he hated losing his temper, and using his semblance. Sereb kept her hand on Ele's shoulder as she broke radio silence. "Team 1, objective complete. Repeat. Team 1, objective complete."


	16. Side Story: Quiet

**AN: As the Chapter title mentioned, this is very much a side story. I had to get it out of my head, so I did~ As for actual updates.. those will be continuing in a few days. My flimsy excuse for not keeping up with the regular posting is due to moving house, and I've been stuck on a laptop for the past few days, and like an idiot I sent chapters 19 and onward, instead of the next few chapters that I was going to post.. so well.. With my sincerest apology, we should be back to regular posting by Friday at the latest. Aside from that, I hope you all enjoy, and have fun~ :)**

Jin never really knew what it was like to talk. Apparently he could speak when he was a toddler, but even as far back as he could remember he'd always been silent. Not that he really cared. Just as a blind man wouldn't really care what colour shirt he wore that day. It was irrelevant to him. Instead you learn to appreciate the small things.

Jin learned to love the silence that seemed to follow him, finding it comforting. Not that he disliked people or being around them, but the silence was one of his oldest friends. So as he sat on a bench in the park that Friday afternoon, listening to the birds chirp and the sound of the small river that ran through the park.

He tossed a small piece of bread to one of the ducks in the stream, finally having given up the last of the loaf. Jin smiled a bit, guessing it was time to get moving as he grabbed the plastic bag, being sure to put it in a nearby trash can, before heading into town.

* * *

Jin looked around the street, a few shops along the road, with small crowds of people milling about. Eventually Jin found the shop he was looking for. A small hole in the wall with the words 'Bella Flora' printed in bright pink on a white backdrop.

As he opened the door, Jin was greeted by a small old women behind the counter. "Ah, Jinny Boy. Just on time as usual. How is school going? I hope that Crazy Darling isn't being too harsh on you youngsters..Or that nasty old Crat.. you know I used live down the street from him.. piece of work that one.." She said, giving Jin a wrinkled smile before going back to work, carefully assembling a bouquet.

Jin chuckled. 'I am doing well Granny. Did an assignment a few days ago. Was actually the first time I talked to the headmistress. She doesn't seem too bad. As for Professor Crat. Not the nicest person, but he knows his stuff.'

"Oooh? And assignment. You'll have to come early next week so you can tell me all about it. Sharon has asked bout you, and you know how she gets. Oh, and I saw your mother, she picked up a few sunflower seeds, it was nice to see her. Is your father doing better? I didn't think it polite to ask at the time."

'Dad is doing better, the Ursa only fractured the bone, didn't break anything. I'll send him your regards next time I send him a message.'

"Oh thank you Jinny Boy. Such a sweet thing. Just allow me to finish up with this, and I'll let you get on your way. I know how much you look forward to things." said the old woman, finishing up the flower arrangement by adding a small green tinted rose into the centre.

'Thanks Granny, usual price?' Jin typed away with one hand, reaching for his wallet with the other.

"Oh, dust no. I know what today is, so this one is on the house. I can treat one of my best customers every so often. So take these and don't you dare try to convince me to take money from them, or I'll be telling your mother bout you being rude to a frail old women." She said, placing the bouquet on the counter in front of Jin.

'I don't she'd believe that story for a few reasons. You are by no means old or frail Granny.'

"Oh hush you silver-tongued devil. Don't be wasting your breath on this old hag, now get out of here Jinny before Emily shows up. We are playing bridge tonight, and you know how she just adores you. Will talk your ear off, without letting you escape. Now go, shoo. Get out." The old woman shooed Jin out of her shop with a grin.

* * *

Jin kept walking, carefully holding the flowers as to not damage them. He walked past the bookstore, a few restaurants and various other stores, occasionally waving to the shop owners through the window, knowing most of them since he was a kid, having worked for them all at one point or another.

"Jinny Boy! Hey, Jin!" Hearing his name called from behind, Jin stopped and turned to see Mr. Azu, waving him over.

Jin turned back, nodding a greeting to the owner of the small jewellery store. 'How are you Mr. Azu?' He typed away, looking at the short man before him, with light brown hair and beard, in his early thirties.

"I'm doing good Jinny. Just have a small problem that I could use your quick help with. I'd make it worth your while.." Azu said, with a small smirk, probably knowing what today was as well.

Jin wasn't really surprised, the whole neighborhood probably knew, so he shrugged. 'I'd be happy to help if it's quick.'

"Quick, easy and will save me some money. You know with my back lately I've had issues lifting things.. I just got a new safe in the back, along with a couple of boxes. I just thinking of hiring a few movers to bring everything to where it needs to be, then I saw you and thought 'two birds with one stone'. So? Easy enough for you?"

Jin nodded. 'Sure, mind holding the bouquet. And be careful with it please.'

"I will, now follow me" Azu went into his store, leading Jin into the back room where a large black metal safe sitting, flanked by two boxes with the words 'Fragile' printed on them. "Just need the safe moved to the space under the counter, and the boxes moved on top of the counter itself. I can do the rest after that."

Jin handed Azu the floors, stepping into the back room, making sure to get a good grip around the giant metal box, before standing up, keeping his back straight, using his knees to support most of the weight. He followed Azu's finger, setting down the heavy contraption with a dull thud, before stretching. 'That is heavy, I see why you wanted help.'

"Indeed, now if you could be a dear and move the boxes. They are much lighter. Trust me. Mistral silver work and gold is like thread. Among the best around. A barbaric people at times with all that fighting, but ooh do they know how to work metal." Mr Azu said, stepping out of Jin's way as he put the first box on the counter.

'I forget, I tell you bout my team. One of them is a son of the Tefra Steel Company, and the other two are from Mistral.' Jin stopped to take a breath, not wanting to over work himself today.

"Really now? I would love to meet the Tefra. I have an old heirloom of my grandmothers. A proud huntress. And I was thinking of where to get it repaired. Tefra's do good work for a reasonable price, unlike some of those silly chain stores.."

'I'll let him know. He's a big fan of jewellery and the like. You could work out a deal with him and save some money.' Jin set the last box on the counter, taking a small peek inside to see a thin layer of bubble wrap, and a bunch of smaller boxes.

"I'll consider it. Next time you stop by I'll ask for his number. Now, as for your reward.. hm.. let's see.. let's see.. hm.. how bout.. no.. nah.. not this.."

'What you looking for Mr. Azu?' Jin tapped the older man's shoulder as he looked sorted through various display cases.

"Looking for a proper gift.. let's see...aha! Here we go!" Azu stood up, holding a small box, pushing it over the counter to Jin. "Take a look, and if you think it'll work, it's yours. So long as you promise your future business."

Jin chuckled, picking up the box, gently opening the lid to see a small heart shaped pendant. Half of the heart was a forest green emerald, the other half a deep orange amber gemstone, with a thin gold chain. 'Mr. Azu. I honestly can't accept this.. It is lovely, but-'

"Shush hush shush. Special order for you. With the amount of trouble and money you saved me, I'm technically making a profit. So hush hush and get a move on. You are going to be late. Oh! And don't forget. When the time comes, I'll be expecting you here. I'll be sure to get something nice for you two. Now run along, I got stuff to unpack and customers to deal with."

Jin bowed, typing out a short 'Thank you' to Mr. Azu before leaving the shop, the necklace stored safely in his pocket as he finally made his way to his destination.

* * *

Jin stood outside Bulwark Combat school, leaning against the gateway as he waited, listening to the chatter of students as they left, parents talking to their children bout their day, or random passerby's idle chit chat. Most students left Bulwark around 6pm, having finished most extra classes, but still he waited.

He was fixing a flower petal that the wind had bent, when he saw her. A girl a foot shorter than him, thin, but walking with confidence, and amber-colored hair. He was her make a beeline straight to him, giving him a small hug, without saying a word. He returned the hug, with a smile, before letting her go.

'Happy Birthday Saria' Jin handed her the flower bouquet, seeing the small blush. 'And a birthday present.' Jin grinned happily at the look of surprise and mock anger on Saria's face, remembering how she had explicitly stated she didn't want a present.

Her face lit up when she saw the pendant, giving Jin a look he knew all too well. He bent down a bit so that his face was level with hers. Saria wrapped her arms around Jin's large neck, pulling him in for a gentle kiss, before letting him go. Jin helped her with the clasp, while Saria fought to contain her excitement. Eventually the necklace was on, Saria looking down on it, the smile never leaving her face. She gently sniffed the roses, enjoying the smell as she held out her free hand.

Jin took her hand into his without hesitation, the pair beginning to walk down the road. Not a word was exchanged, none were needed.

To Jin silence wasn't maddening, it wasn't something that needed to be avoided. Silence was an old friend. It was something he could share, something that he loved, cause sometimes a silent look between one person and another, is worth more than all the "I love you's" in the world.


	17. Reward

**AN: Well, day late. Whoops, ok. -Now- we are back to the daily schedule, sorry bout that. But yes. Hope you all enjoy~ Leave a review with suggestions, recommendations, whatever. It'd be nice to hear what everyone thinks.**

Sereb and Ele watched the chaos that was occurring outside, a maelström of bullets and weapons that all originated from their friends. Sereb and Ele watched in silence as dozen's of White Fang fell before them. "Wow.. almost makes me feel like we are the bad guys.. watching them drop like flies..."

Ele sighed, looking at Dubh to check if he had regained conscious. "Maybe.. evil is a matter of perspective after all.. To them we are the oppressors, and they are just freedom fighters, having been pushed to great extremes .."

Sereb looked at Ele, seeing the usual signs popping up. Sereb smiled slightly, moving to Ele's side. "Hey.. You know that your aura is getting more and more awesome looking by the day?" Sereb smirked at Ele, poking fun at the glow that always seemed for form when he go angry enough, and how his eyes emitted a phantasmal light.

"Hush you, I don't need to hear bout how I'm terrifying the locals. At least any more than usual." Ele chucked, petting Sereb gently, before grabbing Dubh, and Salibar over his shoulders as he walked outside with their big catches.

* * *

Moira looked over the reports she had gotten from the Atlas police force regarding the performance of her students in the field. _Odd that Alcee would do the worst out of the bunch.. well not really. She's a mêlée centric fighter, and you can't really make a claymore that just knocks people out... or maybe... note to self. Talk to Crat bout stun claymore. _

As she got to the end of the reports, she started to smirk at what Sereb and Ele had accomplished. _A gunslinger that can hit you from a mile away, and a man of such presence and power that he can bend people to his will by force. A shame though. His semblance could be the thing that beats Ozy.. but he's too damn selective with it. Seriously.. wasting this dust given gift on a common criminal instead of someone more.. important._

Moira sighed, knowing the limits that Ele's semblance had even if she wanted to ignore them. _Can't order around someone with more aura than you. Normally not an issue given the substantial amount that Ele possessed. And then this hogwash about not being able to subjugate those who hold to firm convictions or believes. Suddenly makes his persona in the ring a bit more understandable.. gah.. I'm going to get old sitting here, reading these.._

Grabbing a stamp from her top right drawer, Moira blazed through the reports, giving every student an extra 5% to their overall grade. Moira gave one last look through her pile, before noticing a letter. "Oh, ho ho? What do we have here?"

Moira opened the letter, quickly reading over the contents. "Oh my, well guess I better tell him.." Moira took out her scroll, typing in a message to her assistant. 'Please have Mr. Saphir sent to my office once his current class is finished.'

* * *

Sereb sat next to Phriz on his bed as the team gathered in her room, Jin sitting on his mattress and Ele standing with his back to the group, he'd been acting strange since they met up in Dust Applications, speaking less than usual while he jotted down notes, Crat going on bout the advancements in dust technology in the past decade. "Boss man, what's on your mind?" Phriz said, finally breaking the silence.

Ele turned around to face his teammates. "Sorry, just been an off day.. as for why we are having this meeting. I'll be gone for a week. I'm leaving tonight on an airship to Mistral."

"Wait, what? Why are you going? The festival is in a month, and we need to get in as much training as possible." Sereb interrupted, getting a nod from Phriz and Jin in agreement.

"Trust me, it's not going to be a trip for the sake of having fun.." Ele said, sitting down heavily onto his mattress.

"Why are you leaving then?" Phriz asked, curious as what would be so important that their leader needed to disappear for a week.

Ele sighed. "I will be attending a funeral if you really need to know.."

This sentence caused Sereb to blink. _A funeral? Who's.. oh no.._ "Is it Gramps?" she asked, getting a small nod from Ele. Sereb stood up, moving over to Ele's side, as Phriz and Jin finally started to connect the pieces, mumbling their apologies for Ele's lose.

"Thanks.. while I am gone.. Jin is acting team leader.." Ele continued, looking at the group to see three nods of agreement. "That's all for the meeting. Give Fa Lian my apologies that I won't be attending training tonight, since I need to pack." Ele's words were again met with 3 nods as his teammates got up, Jin and Phriz both giving him a light pat on the shoulders before leaving the room. Sereb stood her ground next to Ele, as if waiting.

"You are going to be late for practice if you don't leave soon.." Ele said, still seated.

"Well, I'll deal with that later.."

Ele sighed, and stood up, to be greeted with a tight hug from Sereb. Ele blinked, as he looked down at her burying her face in his chest, speaking quietly. "You looked like you needed one.."

"Thanks.. I kind of did."

"Give everyone my regards, and tell Gramps I'm sorry for not being able to come.." A few tears rolled down Sereb face, to be gently wiped away Ele's hand.

"I'll be sure to tell him.." Sereb gave Ele one last squeeze before pulling away, turning to leave. "See you in a week Ele."

"See you in a week.. and don't you dare skip training cause I'm not here. And tell Phriz that if he causes trouble while I'm gone, he's going to regret it. Yesterday's incident in the cafeteria is not to be repeated."

Sereb nodded. "I'll tell him." Sereb tried her best to give Ele an encouraging smile before walking out the door, slowly making her way to the training hall.

* * *

Ele sat on the airship, looking around. _Thank dust.. not a lot of people.. I'm really starting to hate these things... _Ele pulled his beanie over his eyes, deciding to just sleep for the long hours before him. Ele closed his eyes as the ship took off, heading back to Mistral and a week that he'd rather just have over.


	18. Something for Every Occasion

"Sereb, you know you can be given up at any point yo. Don't want to beat you bloody in front of the class after all." Svend joked, charging at Sereb with his axes raised above him, swinging them down once he'd caught up to the nimble girl.

"Now now Svend, don't be such a bully. We both know how this is going to end." Sereb shot back as she narrowly avoided the axes crashing down above her, firing a volley of bullets from Zima in her left hand as her right reached for Snegm. With both revolvers now in hand, Sereb unloaded another hailstorm of bullets in Svend's direction, watching him swat away every other shot with a flurry of swings.

"Booo, girl that pun sucked. Just cause I got the horns doesn't mean I gotta be a devil." Svend smirked, closing the distance as Sereb did a quick reload. Svend almost got into range before Sereb started to retreat, still facing him. _How that girl runs so fast backwards is beyond me.._ Svend brought his arm back, before throwing it at the retreating sharpshooter. Sereb bended her back, ducking under the axe, using her momentum to transition into a handstand then back to fighting form, to see Svend dangerously close.

Sereb quickly pulled back the hammer on both revolvers, changing the ammo before shooting Svend point-blank into the chest, as his remaining axe coming down low and left. _No you don't._ Sereb pulled the trigger, explosive rounds slamming into Svend, the force of which sent them both flying back to opposite ends of the ring. Sereb recovered quickly since she was expecting the explosion, doing a back flip in the air, sending a few pot shots at Svend, only grazing him as he fell.

Taking her chance, Sereb spun the chambers to her revolvers, tossing them gently into the air. Once her hands were free Sereb reached behind her, grabbing Glavni out of its dual form holsters. Sereb whipped her hands back, firing at Svend just as he was back on his feet, realizing what kind of trouble he was in. Svend tried to dodge to the side, hoping to grab his other axe so that he could bunker down and possibly survive the onslaught, but Sereb beat him to the punch.

Sereb stood across from Svend, her feet firmly planted as she unloaded round after round into Svend with her extra pair of revolvers. Sereb's arms worked in a blur, firing every round in the chamber of a gun before tossing it back into the air, then grabbing a new gun out of the air to repeat the process, keeping up the tidal wave of bullets she had unleashed on Svend, who was bravely trying to defend himself, but without his second axe, he couldn't hope to keep pace, as his aura steadily wore away from green to orange. Sereb kept juggling her guns, frantically reloading them before firing.

"That's good! Sereb please stop before we see Svend turn into Valian Cheese." Professor Hectar chuckled. Sereb smiled and nodded, putting Glavni, Snegm and Zima all back in their proper holsters.

"As for pointers.. Svend, simple enough. Don't be stupid and throw your axe unless you have a sure-fire way of getting it back. It was a bold move that almost won you the round, but. And this is an important but. Your loss of a second axe is entirely what lost you the match." Svend nodded and with a small sigh went to pick up his axe.

"Now. Sereb, Sereb.. desperation tactics? Really? The trick with the explosive rounds. I liked that, but the follow-up.. eeeh. You've gotten better at keeping your distance. I know this kind of fight isn't your preferred hunting ground. But hey, need to learn to adapt... that and it's fun to watch you tear Svend a new one." Hectar laughed.

"Hey! Not funny man! Not my fault she's a slippery thing! If I could catch her you know I'dda won!" Svend shot back.

"Hush it horn head. You lost, and if I didn't stop the fight, I'd be cleaning you up with a mop. Now hush up, we are done for the day. Now, shoo, I got the 3rd years coming down for training in a bit. So git out." Hectar chuckled, waving the crowd of first years away.

* * *

So the day went. Crat seemed to be in a pleasant mood as he discussed what various mixes of dust does, with a small tangent on modern dust companies that the students eventually had to tune out. Grimm studies involved a small fight between an unarmed Phriz and a Ursa. Iasus spent the whole time talking to the class and commentating on Phriz's fighting, pointing out mistakes and not seeming to care that Phriz who had a noticeable lack of hand to hand combat was facing off in a cage match against an enraged Ursa. It was a normal day over all.

* * *

"Crazy woman.. making me punch a Grimm... those plates of theirs hurt like hell!" Phriz complained, bandaging a few cuts he'd gotten on his forearm from a Ursa paw that should have by all rights killed him.

"Aw.. sorry Phriz, shame she eventually noticed your screaming for help and just shot the poor thing... maybe next time you won't talk so much in class. And enough crying, we still got practice tonight." Sereb smirked, handing Phriz the last bit of gauze. _Not to self, run into town tomorrow to refill the medicine supply._

"Thanks for the concern Sereb, nice to know someone cares.. unlike a certain mute.." Phriz took the gauze, wrapping up the large bruise on his shoulder.

Jin just smirked, showing them a message. 'Hey now, you got in trouble, so you had to get yourself out of it. Might make you stop and think next time ;P'

"I'd tell you to shut up, but that really wouldn't do anything.."

'Going to the throat already? That's harsh man, and after all the times you and Rozene have tried to cuddle me, it's like you only want me for my body.' Jin flexed his massive form, getting a laugh from Phriz and a shake of the head from Sereb.

"Alright you two.. we got training tonight, so what are we waiting around for?" Sereb said, breaking up the playful fight before it became any more serious. _These two.. no wonder Ele jokes bout keeping them in line._

"Sorry Sereb, we had to cancel tonight. Me and Rozene are going into town tonight, and Jin's got his usual mysterious plans." Phriz said, walking into the bathroom with a set of clothes to get changed out of his uniform.

Sereb blinked, not having been told bout this earlier. "Wait, why? Jin it's not Friday, it's Thursday. We always train at this time. Ele isn't going to like you guys skipping out on training.."

'Come on Sereb, it's only one week. Ele will be back in a few days, and we can help him relieve some stress by being bossed around then. Till now I say we spend this week relaxing. I don't know how you can keep up with that crazy regime of Ele's. Me and Phriz need this break. Sorry.' Jin looked apologetic, getting another sigh from Sereb.

"I hope you know that you two are dead men once Ele gets back.. and you are supposed to be the acting leader... tsk tsk Jin.."

'Hey, Fa Lian's idea, I'm just following orders from her'

Sereb chuckled. "Of course it was.. well.. I'm going to do some solo training so that Ele's anger is directed at just -you two- when he gets back." Sereb smirked, getting a dismissive wave from Jin.

'Tis the plan Sugar Tooth'

Sereb gave Jin a small smack on the back of his head. 'Hey now!'

"Hey yourself. That name is for Ele only."

'Why is that?'

"Where do your disappear to on Friday nights?"

'I asked you first'

"And I won't be answering till you do."

'A stalemate it is then. Touche Sereb, touche.' Jin waggled his finger at Sereb getting a small laugh before she turned to leave, heading off towards the training area for a light spare with the combat drones.

* * *

Sereb hated fighting the combat drones for a few reasons. The first was that they were emotionless hunks of metal that were hard to predict, a skilled fighter could look at their opponent and see their plans written across their face, but against an opponent without any sort of expression it was impossible to guess what they'd be doing, which lead to the second issue. There didn't seem to be a middle ground for these drones, they would fight in one of two modes. Either they were so weak that she might as well be hitting a sandbag, or they were strong enough to just ignore all of her attacks, relying on the fact that she tired and they didn't to win the fight.

_Damn drones.. Should probably ask Iasus if she has any extra Grimm for sparing next time.._ Sereb grabbed a towel, wiping her forehead after the two hours of pummeling and getting pummeled back by the droids, having spent the last couple hours working on her hand to hand combat, not wanting to be caught of guard if she was the next called by Iasus, to be a chew toy.

_Drats.. it's only 8... Do I have homework? There is the history essay. But I promised Alcee we'd finish that tomorrow.. I hate all this free time.. should I go for another hour?_ Sereb looked at the combat drones. _No.. I'd rather not.. dust.. what to do.._

Sereb made her way to the dressing room, thinking to herself as she took a quick shower, and changing into some fresh clothes. _I could call mom and dad.. haven't really talked to them in forever... _Sereb nodded, deciding she might as call her parents since they haven't heard from her in weeks.

Sereb walked into her dorm room, stashing her work out clothes in her laundry basket, noticing that no one seemed to be around. She grabbed her scroll, looking around. _Well since there isn't anyone here.._ Sereb flopped down on her mattress, glancing at the ceiling before unlocking her scroll, smiling a bit at the background. A picture of her and Ele from when they were thirteen. She still looked roughly the same in her opinion, just scaled for size, and not by much to her own disappointment. Ele on the other hand had changed, he used to be a thin, weedy kid, but long hours training by himself had filled him out nicely.

Sereb rolled over, laying flat on the bed, still smiling at the picture, noticing that Ele's eyes haven't changed a bit, a crystal blue that seemed to stare into a person's soul, looking them over, judging them. Eventually Sereb moved past the picture, and dialed home, waiting for someone to pick up.

Sereb thought back to how sad she was when she found out that her father's job forced them to move to another city. How angry she got that after finally finding a friend, and getting to know him, that all of it was going to go away. Sereb sighed, deciding to leave those old wounds to rest since everything had worked out.

"Hello?" a feminine voice finally answered the scroll.

"Hi Mom, I had some free time, so I thought I'd call and say hi."

"Sereb! Darling! Oh, it's good to hear from you, how are you baby? How are classes? Have you made any more friends? Are you keeping your grades up?"

"Mom, take a breath. And one question at a time. How are you guys?"

"We are doing fine, your father might be getting promoted to district manager! It's so exciting, oh dear, do come visit some time, I know you are busy but it'd be nice to see you as well. Bring Ele. We can have dinner and chat. What are you two doing this weekend? You can come over then. It's been so long since we've seen him."

"Mom.. me and Ele aren't dating.. for th-"

"Oh really? Still, you'd make such a cute couple!"

"Mom! I'm sorry for interrupting.. but yes.. still not dating.. anyways, Ele is out-of-town for a few days, won't be back until Monday.."

"What for honey?"

"Gramps died..."

"Oh.. I'll need to send the Saphir's my condolences for Old Fred.. How'd Ele take it?"

"Ele seemed to take it well.. though I think he was putting up a front.."

"Well.. Ele and Karabos didn't have the best relationship between people.."

"Yes.. but mom.. that's none of our business.. how's dad? Is he there?"

"Oh! Yes, he is. I'll go grab him, then we can talk." Sereb's mom set down the scroll, though Sereb could still hear her mom calling out her father's name.

So things continued, Sereb spent the better part of an hour talking to her parents, catching them up on school and what's been going on, telling them bout the raid, minus the part of herself being held hostage. Finishing with a few promises to come visit before they head of for the Vytal festival, Sereb eventually hung up, happy to have thought to call her parents.

_Now what.. it's not even ten.._ Sereb sat up. _Well, might go see what Fa Lian and Svend are up to. _Sereb slipped off her bed, looking at the time. _Ya.. those two will still be up._ Sereb left her dorm room, making sure to lock the door as she went down to team FRSA's room. Sereb knocked quietly, knowing that one of the two would hear her. After waiting a moment, the door opened to see Svend in pajamas.

"Yo Sereb, what up?"

"I'm bored, and I was hoping you guys were doing something fun.."

Svend chuckled. "Just in time. Fa Lian is going all try hard and handing me, my ass on a silver platter. I could use some back up. So come on in girl."

Sereb giggled. "Fa Lian. I've come to protect Svend's innocence!"

"Good! I could use a challenge, Svend sucks at shooters."

* * *

"It's a good thing you don't shoot like that in an actual fight... you two suck..." Fa Lian smirked at her impressive KD.

"Please be quiet.." said Svend and Sereb in unison.

"How bout we play a different game? I'd prefer a fighting game or something.. where we have a fair chance..." Svend suggested.

"Hah.. sure.. fair as in you stomping over us.." Fa Lian countered.

"Now now.. we could try that new gam-.. wow.. is it really that late.." Sereb noticed the time. _Time flew by.. 2 already.._"I got to head out, it's been fun, but I still got class tomorrow." Svend and Fa Lian waved as Sereb left, before resuming their argument of what to play next.

Sereb opened her door to see Jin and Phriz both asleep. _Good..._ She quietly slipped into bed, doing her best to not wake them as she went into the bathroom to change, before coming back out, jumping into bed. _A few more days, then he'll be back.. it's kind of boring without him.. maybe we can ask Headmaster Moira for another assignment, that'd be fun.._

Sereb yawned, slowly falling asleep, thinking of what was to come, hoping it'd be fun. _The festival is soon.. this is going to be amazing.._

**AN: Hello Everyone, sorry for the late update. Just cause of the way things are might make the schedule a bit more erratic. But don't worry, I'll be sure to keep up with at least one update every 3 days or so. We shall see~ Anyways, hope you all enjoy, and have fun :)**


	19. Home

To say that Ele disliked Mistral wouldn't be stretching the truth. The city was beautiful, but the weather and atmosphere always seemed to way down people.. Mistral never had pleasant weather, it was either hot enough to bake an egg on the sidewalk, so cold that no amount of clothing can really protect a person from the elements, or a miserable, rainy middle ground.

Ele had been in town for a few days, spending most of his time at the local hunter's centre, doing his best to keep up with his training. What time he didn't spend at the gym was wasted at home, talking to his parents. The Saphir family wasn't the closest family in Remnant, so the time was mostly spent in silence, each person doing their respective work.

"The funeral is Saturday, Ele. Will you still be here for the service?" asked Ele's father, who was an almost exact copy of Ele, but thinner from a life as a business man, instead of hunter.

Ele nodded, finishing up a few math questions. "Yes.. I'll be leaving Sunday night.. I'm sorry for imposing."

"Honey, it's not like that. We just don't want you to miss too much school, and neither would your grandfather." Ele's mother said, a small woman, with Ele's crystal blue eyes.

"It's fine mother.. I am here to pay my respects like everyone else. I can easily miss a week of school.. My team will be fine without me."

"I know how much you care for them, honey... And we don't want to be a bother."

"Mother.. for the last time.. it's fine. Now I think I'll just head upstairs and have a nap.. Wake me up when we need to check on the will.."

"Alright son.."

Ele could hear a collective sigh as he left the room. Another reason he hated Mistral, his parents loved him, but they were scared of him like most people. All because of his semblance, something that been forced onto him by birth. Ele had lived most of his life being taught by his parents what was right, and what was wrong, but not for the point of learning proper morals, but for the express purpose of making sure he didn't abuse his powers.

Ele walked up into his room, laying down on his bed, looking at the ceiling. Ele brought his hand up, looking at the ring on his index finger. The only gift he'd actually received from his Grandfather, even then having to fight to earn them. _Pactum and Patior.._ Ele closed his eyes, falling asleep quickly, a talent he picked up when fighting in tournaments. Every bit of rest would help.

* * *

"Thank you for coming Mr and Mrs. Saphir. Let me begin by offering my condolences. Remnant lost a good man with Karabos's passing." said the lawyer, inviting them into his office.

"Your sentiment is shared by many Aldan. The funeral is this Saturday if you wish to attend, it'll be open to whoever wishes to pay their respects." Mr. Saphir said, shaking Aldan's offered hand, before taking a seat.

"I will be attending yes, it's the least I can do for a man such as Karabos." Aldan finally noticed Ele who walked in behind his mother. "Ah, you must be the grandson. Aldan Wallace. I wish we'd have been able to meet under happier circumstances." Aldan offered Ele his hand, which Ele shook firmly.

"Ele Saphir, and your kind words are welcome, Mr. Wallace." Ele was rather impressed, the lawyer recovered quickly, a hint of fear showing for barely a moment before being wiped away with a sympathetic smile.

"Please sit Ele, I'll try to make this quick since your Grandfather wasn't one for wasting time on too much paper work." Aldan brought his hand back, flexing it slightly to get the feeling back as Ele joined his parents in an open chair at the side of the office.

"So the will is simple enough. Karabos owned quite a few things, but he kept good records and everything has been accounted for. He left quite a bit behind to quite a few people though, so it'll take some time to get everything finished, but don't worry. We have everything bestowed upon you ready." Aldan reached for a small pad of paper, covered in notes.

"For Halina Nailah Saphir, you were left a box of jewelry formally owned by Karabos's late wife, to do with as you see fit."

Ele's mother nodded, it was a small thing, but she'd always loved her mother in-laws small collection of rings and necklaces.

"Kaf Zalika Saphir, you have been given the rights to the small bits of land owned by your father. Along with an assortment of memorabilia, including photos, letters, etc."

Ele's father smiled a bit, happier to have some of the old family photo's from when he was a kid, the land not being that important.

"Jointly you've both been given Karabos's monetary inheritance, bonds, stocks, shares, savings and lien. That sort of stuff. The total is still being counted up, and we should have an exact figure tomorrow but the current estimate is at a few hundred thousand lien. Karabos really didn't seem to spend much money..."

"He mostly lived off of what he made as an instructor in Sanctum.. my father was old, but he could still shout and tell the kids where they needed improvement." Kaf clarified with a small smirk.

"Ah, makes sense. He was a healthy specimen to say the least.. any idea what got him? I hate to sound rude, but I am curious as to what finally took out the Gem of Mistral?"

"Corners aren't entirely sure, they know he died in his sleep and there is no signs of foul play, so their best guess is he just died of old age, his spark finally ran out.." Kaf said quietly.

"Ah.. a shame."

Halina nodded, not saying anything.

"Now.. Ele's inheritance.. I gave it a good look and aside from a small package, you were just given an.. I guess the best word for it was an assignment, or challenge.."

Ele raised an eyebrow, not too surprised that he was to receive nothing. He knew his grandfather hated him at the best of times, doing every thing he could to stop Ele's growth as a hunter. "I see.. may I ask what it is, Mr. Wallace?" Ele kept his voice as level as possible, though he wasn't sure what the old man had left him, maybe something that proved he cared. _As if.._

Aldan checked his notes. "Ah, let's see.. the conditions are rather simple. I'm sure as a tournament fighter and hunter in training, you know of the Vytal festival?"

Ele nodded. "Yes.. I plan on participating, in fact.." Ele still wasn't sure what was going on.

"Well" Aldan coughed. "I'm not sure exactly what the specific items mentioned are, you are asked to fight in the tournament. If you win, you receive a reward, if you place anywhere other than first, or fail to compete, the reward will be given to the next person on the list.."

"What is the reward?" Ele leaned forward, his tone serious. _This may actually be something.. the old bat must have gone crazy in his last few days.._

"The items being contested are, and I apologize if I am saying this wrong.. Pactum and Patior." Aldan finished.

_What?! _Ele's aura blazed for a moment before he managed to barely reign himself in, seeing the expressions of his parents and Mr. Wallace. "I'm sorry.. their must be some mistake.. my grandfather gave me custody over those two items years ago.. I've used them in every tournament.. I don't understand."

"I'm sorry kid, but it's clear. I made sure to double-check, both of those items are still in your grandfather's name, and his property. According to the registration records, you are using them only on loan till your 18th birthday on condition, or by the rules of this will.. If you fail to uphold your end of the bargain, you will be politely asked to give them up to your successor..."

"I see... and if I win?"

"They will remain yours, but in your grandfather's name, with you having full legal power over what to do with them."

"One last question.. who is next to succeed me?"

"Ah, um.. let me check.." Aldan looked through his notes. "Ah, here we go.. One, Pyrrha Nikos."

* * *

Ele spent the next few days with as little time at home as possible, spending every waking hour that his body could handle training. _Four years.. no.. more than that.. Six since she became a student of the Old man... I will not lose something else to her. I am Ele Saphir. I am the Tyrant. My word is law. My will, absolute._

* * *

It was finally Saturday, the day of the funeral. Ele had gotten dressed in the only suit he owned, and cleaned himself up a bit. As he turned to leave, he looked at his grey beanie, seeing the words sewn into the inside. After barely a moment's hesitation, he grabbed it, placing it on his head. _The Old man always said that not wanting to speak ill of the dead was a stupid concept.. I think I'll happily take that lesson to heart._

Ele left the house with a small smile on his face, the first in this dust awful week. Ele kept his smile as his parents noticed the hate, both frowning at the obvious hint of disrespect, but kept quiet, deciding it wasn't worth the trouble.

* * *

The funeral house was nearly full, with a small crowd of people standing outside, chatting about the man laying in the casket. Ele's parents fielded a steady stream of people coming up to them, offering their sympathy, and saying a few kind words. Ele got a few quick looks of sympathy, but was mostly avoided, a fact he was alright with, not wanting to hear bout how great his grandfather was.

Eventually it was time to for a eulogy. Ele sat near the front, tuning out the proceedings as students, friends and family took the stand to say a few words, speaking of Karabos's exploits, how he'd been an inspiration, the jokes he'd tell in class, and how he was an all around good person. _I guess it sucks to be the one person who got the target of all his bitterness then._

Things eventually died down, some people leaving, but the majority staying, crowding up the hall until Ele finally had enough, and decided to go outside.

Ele walked over to the side of building, reaching into his pants pocket, taking out a tiny red cardboard box, popping open the top, to reveal a dozen or so bone white cylinders. Ele took one out, sliding it into his mouth, gently chewing on the candy, enjoying the chalky taste. _The one thing I'd change bout Atlas.. a store that actually sells these.. _Ele eventually wore down the one in his mouth, cracking it in half with a small bite before sliding another one in, not really paying attention to his surroundings.

Ele's respite of peace was interrupted by a nasally voice, quietly calling out to him. "Excuse me, um.. hello?" Ele looked up to see a blonde, roughly his height if not a bit shorter in a slightly ill-fitting suit. Given one word to describe the man he face, Ele would have chosen 'scraggly'.

"Yes, hello. How may I help you?" Ele said, popping another candy stick into his mouth, a bit surprised that someone would be talking to him. The boy seemed his age. _Maybe a student? No, I don't remember him from Sanctum, or the training school.. then again he taught a lot of people._

"Ah, I am sorry to bother you, I just thought that.. well it was stupid, but I noticed that everyone seemed to be avoiding you, and well.. kind of guessed that you were a relative of the guy in the casket.. so I just thought I'd check on you.. you looked.. well not sad.. just kind of weird.. sorry if I said too much." said the blonde.

Ele blinked. "Rather observant of you I guess.. weird that you noticed.. but yes.. I am the deceased grandson... Ele Saphir." Ele was even more surprised when the blonde didn't even blink at hearing his name. _That's a new one.._

The blonde held out a hand. "Jaune Arc, my condolences for your loss."

Ele shook Jaune's hand. "Thanks.. you and everyone else apparently.." Ele said, a bit of sarcasm unintentionally bleeding into his voice.

"Well.. yes.. you lost a family member did you not? That's got to be hard.. and especially if everything they are saying in there is true.. he must have been a great man." Jaune smiled weakly at Ele, his voice a bit nervous.

Jaune's comments caused Ele to pause for a moment. "I'm sorry, but did you know my grandfather?"

"No, I'm just here to pay my respects with someone who did. I hope that is alright.."

"I don't think the geezer would care who showed up at his funeral at this moment.."

Jaune closed his mouth, not sure what to say, but not sure if he should leave. So he stood next to Ele, a moment passing before he was offered a candy stick, taking one with a weak "Thanks."

"I'm assuming you are a hunter in training if your friend knew my grandfather?"

"Yes, in training at Beacon.. I guess owe a bit to your grandfather since he taught the person who is now teaching me everything I need.. You a hunter as well?"

"Training at Aegis, in Atlas. First year.."

"Going to the Vytal festival?"

"Planning on winning it."

Jaune chuckled. "Hey now, some of us might win."

Ele gave a small smirk. "Yes.. of course.."

The pair of boys chatted for a while, chewing on the candy sticks, letting the time pass as they got to know each other a bit.

"Jaune, I have to ask cause it's been bugging me, or a friend has bugged me bout it, but is your headmaster crazy?"

"More or less.. I never see him without that mug that always has something in it, and when he speaks most of it just goes over my head.. I don't understand a word he says most of the time.. and you know what he did for initiation! He threw us off a cliff! Without parachutes! We could have died!"

Ele laughed loudly. "You realize that, the point of initiation is to prove that you aren't easy to kill right?"

"I guess, but still! A warning! An announcement, something would have been nice! Instead of the 'Hello and Goodbye' that we got."

Ele wiped away a small tear. "Jeez, no offence Jaune, but I feel sorry for your team leader."

Jaune's chest puffed out proudly. "Actually, I am the leader of Team Juniper." Jaune's chest deflated just as quickly. "And it is tough.. I still don't know if I have what it takes..."

Ele put a hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Hey, word of encouragement from random stranger to another, who is also the leader of a team. Don't give up. So long as the people you lead trust you to make the right decisions for them, you are the best leader they can have..."

"Thanks.. man.. I'd hope after a few months that I'd finally gain some confidence... but still.. I'm just plagued with doubt."

"That's part of the job, making sure that you are always second guessing yourself, asking if this is the right choice for others. As a leader your needs come second. Most of the time. A bit of selfishness is both allowed, and warranted at times."

"Ele.. why didn't you go to Beacon, it'd be great having you there, and your team. You would love mine, and Team Ruby, they are awesome. Oh, speaking of, there is one of my teammates now." Jaune smiled, waving at someone behind Ele.

Ele chuckled and turned around, spotting who he was waving to. _Oh you have got to be freaking kidding me... _Ele's smile vanished the instance he saw her. Pyrrha Nikos. Ele did his best to keep his face neutral, Jaune too busy waving at Pyrrha to really notice.

Just as soon as Ele noticed Pyrrha, Pyrrha noticed Ele, walking over with a small smile, her blazing red hair set against a modest black mourning dress. "Ele, it is nice to see you again, even if it's under these circumstances." Pyrrha didn't offer condolences, she'd known Ele enough that it'd be wasted breath.

Ele forced a small smile. "Nice to see you as well Ms. Nikos. I'm honestly surprised you came.." Ele's voice was calm and level, as he spoke, eyes locked with Pyrrha's as they talked, Jaune seeming to pick up that something was up and kept quiet.

"Gramps was a good man, and I wanted to pay my last respects to him. He taught me a lot bout being a huntress... How are you taking it? Is their anything I can do to help?" There was the part that Ele hated bout Pyrrha, the genuine niceness, always willing to extend the olive branch, with no hidden motive. It was a stupid reason to hate her, but that fact alone is what drove Ele. He knew that Pyrrha was truly a nice person, and that she cared for everyone, even the people who didn't like her.

"I am just fine, your offer is noted though... It may seem rude of me to ask.. but I assuming you have been told of the terms of my inheritance.."

"Yes.. we arrived yesterday, and I was told of the circumstances about Gramp's rings... I know how important Pactum and Patior are to you, so I was going to tell them to just wave the condition since I'm the only other person on the list, and let you-" Pyrrha's words were cut off as a flash of steel caught her eye, one of the rings she just mentioned being held up against her throat, touching her skin lightly, the edge glowing slightly..

"Pyrrha.. I swear to dust.. mock me any further, and I will kill you where you stand. I have pay for these rings with blood, I have earned them, and if needed I will earn them again. So do not sit their, and present my property to me as if it was a hand out. I don't care if you decide out of that cowardice you call sympathy if you not enter the Vytal festival, but. Do. Not. Patronize. Me. Not today, not while I am still standing in this dust forsaken place." Ele's voice was harsh, spoken with a contained rage that could almost be tasted.

Ele pulled the ring back a millimeter, allowing Pyrrha to talk, a bit surprised by the words coming out of her mouth. "Jaune.. put the sword down.. it's alright.. no one is going to get hurt here." Ele cast a glance at his new friend-turned new enemy, looking at the sword and shield he wielded. _No.. It's not that I didn't notice him, it's that he's not worth noticing.. terrible form, weak stance, zero confidence and probably very little experience against a hunter actually trying to kill him._

Ele turned to face Jaune, Pactum shrinking down to ring form, as the two leaders squared off, Jaune taking a small step back before putting up a brave front of standing his ground. Ele had enough of this stupidity, activating his semblance on the terrified teen, eyes gleaming a deep blue. "Sheath the weapon, take a step back. And shut up." A look of panic crosses Jaune's face as his body obeyed Ele's words. With that small nuisance held in place. Ele looked back at Pyrrha, seeing her anger. _Hm... A bit much for just a teamma-.. oooh.. is.. ooh, well that's a useful bit of info to have.._

"Let him go, now." Pyrrha said, with an unusual amount of iron in her voice.

"I will let him go once I have left, which will be shortly, I promise. I'm getting tired of dealing with everyone, and your arrival just made a bad day worse Ms. Nikos."

"What? What have I ever done to you Ele? Are you mad that your grandfather tried to give me the rings? I'm sorry, it wasn't my fault."

"Pyrrha.. again.. shut up.. We will meet in the Vytal Festival.. and if I do not place first, I will surrender the rings willingly.. but I warn you. I am not the same Ele you faced for in Sanctum.. This time, I will destroy you, leaving the Invincible warrior broken on the field.." Ele dusted off his suit, and fixed a cuff as if nothing had happened before walking away, his eyes glowing a faint blue as he struggled to contain his aura. _My Words are Law, My Will, Absolute._

**AN: And finally we start to get to the actual plot. Only 16 chapters in, I've heard of build up, but this is unnecessary and I love it. Anyways~ More chapters to come, hope you all enjoy.  
**

**PS. Also, I'm looking for a beta reader or whatever, so if you are bored out of your mind and want to help a writer out, send me a pm. Get to read chapters as soon as they are done, just for the small price of looking things over for grammar and spelling mistakes. Hope you all enjoy, and see you all later~  
**


	20. Discard and Draw

Jin yawned, looking at port, barely awake. 'Why I awake?' Jin typed away slowly, showing it to Sereb.

"We are welcoming Ele back, I'm sure he'd be happy to see us.. he hasn't exactly had a bad week." Sereb said, the only one of the three people standing at the platform.

"Yes, but if he's arriving this early, I'm sure the boss man would rather just have some sleep instead of a surprise party." Phriz rubbed his eyes, wishing they had some coffee. "Can't we just meet him at the dorm?"

"We made a deal. I don't tell Ele bout you two skipping on training, and in return you will be here to greet him when he comes back. So hush up."

"Could have just met him yourse-..." Phriz paused, getting a small grin. "Jin, come on, we are leaving. We'll let Sereb welcome our glorious leader back himself."

Jin nodded, not really caring for Phriz's exterior motive, but he walked off anyways, hailing a cab as the boys left.

Sereb stared at the retreating car. _I am going to kill them... no. I'll let Ele kill them.._ Sereb smiled a bit, walking back to the platform, seeing an airship in the distance. _Hopefully that's him.. hope he's alright.. should I ask him bout my mother's offer to have dinner are our place this weekend? No, he's just been at a funeral, I don't want to take advantage of the situation... how bout.._ Sereb kept quiet as the airship eventually docked, thinking of what to do.

Eventually time pasted, the ship landing, and people filed out. Sereb kept her eyes open, eventually saw a familiar grey beanie sticking out of the crowd. Sereb step to the side of the crowd, letting people pass until Ele got closer, hair covering his eyes, and his travel bag thrown over his shoulders. _Uh oh... not a good mood.._

Sereb quietly made her way to Ele, the crowd dispersing around them. "Ele? How was the trip?" Sereb said quietly, keeping pace with Ele's long, tired stride.

Ele didn't miss a beat, not having expected Sereb to meet him at the terminal, but he wasn't too surprised. A small smile broke through. "I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count.."

"That bad, huh?"

"More than I want to admit.."

Sereb nodded. "Here, let me carry your stuff, you are probably tired." Sereb offered, knowing it was the small things that Ele enjoyed.

"Thanks Sugar Tooth, but I can manage.. and you look as tired as I feel. Has Jin been running you guys into the ground with training?"

Sereb coughed. _Should I tell him.. might as well.. the jerks left me.._"Phriz and Jin skipped training last week, I've been doing stuff solo since you've been gone, or with Fa Lian's group.. do go easy on them though, broken bones may heal in time, but we want them in top condition for the Vytal festival." Sereb giggled, already guessing what Ele was thinking of doing with them.

To her surprised Ele just sighed. "I'll give them a talk.. but for the next couple weeks there won't be as much team training.."

_Really that bad if he isn't even angered.. _"Ah.. what happened?" She asked, the pair finally getting to the road curb, seeing the line and deciding that it may be quicker to just walk to Aegis's transit station.

"Let's just say the stakes of this tournament just got a bit higher.."

"I see..will you be alright?"

"Depends... I hate to be selfish, but may I bother you for extra training sessions for a few days?" Ele looked at Sereb, guilt shown on his face, not liking having to ask favours of people.

Sereb nodded, more than happy with that. "I would love to, would give me a better chance of flattening you in the finals, for all of Remnant to see." She smiled, getting a small smile back. "So what changed? Why is this one so important?"

"I'd rather not talk bout it.. just.. cause.."

"I see.. you visit Gramp's grave?"

"Funeral and grave.. the diggers in Mistral work quick to say the least.. paid my last respects, and will be happy to move on."

"Good... how are your parents?"

"Usual, if anything a few months away from me seemed to make them more scared of me.."

"Well.. if you want.. and I know you've had a hard week, but my parents were bugging me to visit them this weekend, and I know they'd love to see you."

"That'd be nice.. but I'll have to give you an answer at a later date Sugar Tooth. I need to focus on training.. how much is the next project of Hawkin's worth?"

"5 percent of total grade, why?"

"5 percent... ya, I can sacrifice that.."

"Ele.. what are you planning?"

"Nothing that will get me in trouble."

"I know, and that worries me more.."

* * *

The remainder of the week flew by, Ele catching up on whatever work he had missed, while scaling back the scheduled training for the whole team besides his own, letting Phriz and Jin decided if they wanted to join in. That decision was met with a bit of joy and fear, the pair being happy they could train in a matter that wouldn't leave the lying on the floor for half an hour after practice, but apprehension that Ele was baiting a trap for later. But nothing came of it.

The weekend rolled around, Ele joined Sereb on a trip to her place, having dinner with the Zakon's. It went well enough, Sereb's parents caring more that Ele was a good friend than his semblance. Ele and Sereb spent Sunday in town, mostly killing time and enjoying the day, picking up a few books before ending the day with three hour's to spare.

* * *

Monday, a day hated solely for its position on the calendar, the herald of another week of working, dreaming of the Saturday to come. For most that is. Sereb enjoyed Monday's since she had History with Ele first thing in the morning, along with combat classes with Fa Lian and Jin, and the cafeteria usually served a delicious dish of pasta.

Her day was going well, having gotten her assignment's back with decent grades, and after an hour-long spare with Ele, the two of them were comparing notes over the Faunus Wars.

"I still don't understand how the faunus lost this war. We dominated the battlefield, the night-time raids were usually pulled of without an issue, and humans were backed into a corner." Sereb thought out loud.

"Supply lines, and logistics. Faunus forces had a superior military force, but they couldn't feed themselves, nor organize enough for a definitive blow. Humanity didn't win a tactical advantage, we basically won through stubbornness. The forces of Commander Arc did rather well though.." Ele said, flipping through the text-book, wondering if this was the same Arc as the boy he met at the funeral. _No way.. there is no way a line of hunters and military men would turn out someone like Jaune.._

"I know, we won the battle, but lost the war. But you'd think by winning enough battles, you'd win the war by default."

"Is this the time you finally admit to me your hatred of humanity? If so, tell Dubh I say hello. I'm sure he'll be pleased as punch to see you again."

"Yes, I plan on joining the White Fang right now, actually I forgot, already a member and I've been tasked with killing you for the past few years." Sereb deadpanned.

"Well you are doing a terrible job since I'm still breathing and listening to you. If you've been a mole the 7 years we've been friends I'd have expected at least a knife in the back at this point."

"Nah, need to do something flashier when you are killing a crazed tyrant."

"I prefer the term insane, since that seems to be what I've done with my life. Beating my head against a brick wall, hoping that one day it'll come crashing down."

"Thanks for making this depressing."

"Your welcome, I'll be here all year. And for the three after that. You signed up to this remember. Don't blame me."

Sereb stretched, closing her not book after finally having had enough reading for the night. _Nine O'clock.. Could do so more studying... no.. any more and my brain will explode._ "Ele, you want to take a break?"

Ele checked the clock, it was too late for him to fit some extra training into his schedule and homework was done. "Sure, what you have in mind?"

"Cards?"

"So long as it's not Go-Fish, sure."

Sereb giggled. Go Fish is a terrible game to play with only two people, and the remainder of their team was out on an assignment for the night. It was quiet without them, but Sereb didn't mind too terribly. _Phriz means well, and Jin is always willing to help.. I'm glad they joined us. _"We could play.. Canasta, Poker, War. What you feel like? Skill or Chance?"

"We betting?"

"If you want to."

"Sure, want to go with money or what if's?"

Sereb thought for a they played for money it usually just meant that the loser would be paying for lunch regardless of how deep or shallow they were in the hole. _I'm running a bit low.. I really need to go see another movie with Ele some time soon.. or I'll have gotten those flats for nothing.._ "How bout What If's, I've been winning lately, so I'm foreseeing a major loss in my future."

"Little Miss Daredevil over here. Let's go with Skill then." Ele said, grabbing a pack of cards out his dresser, shuffling them quietly.

"Game?"

"Poker, Mistral Hold'em. Bind is 1 question. Max is 5 per hand." Ele sat down across from Sereb, dealing the cards, with a small smile.

_Damn Card shark.. no, he wouldn't be stupid enough to do it on the opening hand. _Sereb looked at her cards, noticing the indents markings on the back. "Can't believe you still had this deck.."

"Brought it from home. Still works after all."

Sereb smirked. _Guess this will be like old times, I'll be reading the cards and he'll be reading me. What an evil man._ Sereb though, reminded of how they used to play, a pair of cheaters, one using her enhanced eyesight to mark the cards in small ways to differentiate them, and another that would gently use his words to get the outcome he wanted. A small, pointless battle of wits that they usually tied on. "A fair point.."

Sereb looked at her cards. _6 of clubs and a 2 of spades.. not the best, but I can hope for a straight or a pair._ Sereb cast her eyes at Ele, looking into his eyes first for a hint, getting nothing as usual when they played before checking his hand. _He's either got an Ace and a 2, or a pair of 2's. That'd be just my luck for him to win the first round with a hand like that._

"I'm passing, you?"

"Passing."

Ele dealt the next three cards face up, revealing the 2 of hearts, a king of diamonds and a 5 of hearts. _Well there goes my straight.. but I do have a pair.. but so does he.._ "I'll raise by 1." Sereb said, smiling innocently, knowing it wouldn't throw Ele off by too much.

"I'll raise as well." Ele flipped the next card. The 6 of spades. _Yes! _Sereb kept the excitement from showing on her face, deciding to bait the trap. "I'll pass." She said quietly.

"I'll raise."

"Match." Sereb smiled inside, knowing that Ele was feeling confident in his three of a kind, mostly cause he was being quiet, not trying to force her hand in anyway.

Ele flipped the next card, giving Sereb a moment to pause. The ace of clubs. _No way.. he's not the type to leave things up to fortune, or a stupid lucky draw like this. _"I'll raise." Sereb said, going for the confident approach, hearing Ele match and raise, also putting up a brave front.

"I'll match." Sereb responded, openly smiling at Ele now that she was going to win. Sereb laid out her hand. "Two pairs, 6 high card."

Ele sighed, showing his hand. A two as she predicted, and the ace she'd forgotten bout. "Two pair, Ace high card." Ele smirked, getting a pillow tossed in his direction. "Cheater! How'd you pull that off!? No way you could have set up a hand like this!" Sereb said, embarrassed that she was so easily tricked.

"A magician never reveals his secrets." Ele smirked, gathering up the cards. "I think that's four for me."

"Secret's he says.. really means he was ballsy enough to rig the deck from the first step.."

"Didn't have to, deck was preloaded. The way I shuffled it was just for show." Ele admitted blatantly.

"Cheater.."

"Says the person who knew what I had cause of a few scratches. Not a saint yourself."

"Shut up.."

"Alright, while you are crying, I might as well ask the first question, give you time to think and all." Ele grinned, actually shuffling the deck this time.

"Fine, but you only get two cause you admitted to cheating."

"Spoil sport. Fine.. let's say Iasus calls you down to her office. She and Crat have somehow come up with this miracle weapon, you will be able to easily kill every Grimm that you face, wiping them out by the hundreds at a time. But, the trade-off being that every time you do kill a Grimm, you'll be learning an embarrassing secret of friends, family and other people. You'd be beloved by everyone, and you'd make a huge difference to Remnant, and be beloved by all."

"No way.. not doing it.. I don't care.. I don't need a weapon like that.."

"Really? You'd give up that gift to Remnant so easily? For shame Sugar Tooth, for shame."

"Oh, like you'd take that terrible deal."

"Depends on a few things really."

"Such as?"

"If there was an area limit or something."

"Making up technicalities to your own question.."

"A good point, so I've learned today that my dear Sugar Tooth doesn't value the innocent people of Remnant."

"No, what you learned is that I value my sanity. I don't think I'd be able to look at most people the same after I learn their deep dark secrets."

"Like what? That Crat is actually a gentle old man with a pet cat? I know that'd mess me up."

"Oh hush.. next question."

Ele dealt the deck as they continued talking, not betting to keep the conversation going. "Let's see. A million Lien a year, but all of your clothes are changed into something embarrassing. Could be something as silly as a one piece pajama set with ducks printed on it, or you could be forced to wear nothing but a swimsuit at all times, on missions and stuff."

Sereb looked over cards as she thought. "One million a year? How long would this last?"

"Until you backed out."

"Easy then. To stick with my supposed hatred for remnant and all its inhabitants, I'd quit being a huntress, move into a house and spend my days doing something else. I can more than easily live of one million, and if I spend my time inside, then I'll not be embarrassed by the clothes."

"You are scary at finding these weird loopholes... also once again you are removing a skilled huntress from the defence of a city. I'm ashamed of you Sugar Tooth." Ele said flatly.

"Easy, what money I have left over, I will give to combat schools to increase productivity and training, to make up for my supposed loss. I'll be sure to save a bit of money though so that I can spend my twilight years in semi-decency."

"An interesting answer. You crazy faunus."

"Hush up and deal again, I'm not going to lose again." Sereb smirked at Ele, getting a good feeling bout the next hand.

Apparently her feeling was correct, but Ele had played safe and only had to answer one question. "Well Ele, primer question, would you define yourself as a moral person?"

"My morals may be a bit skewed, but I do follow them, yes."

"Alright, here is the scenario. You are walking around in Atlas, you are at the park for whatever reason on a weekend and you hear a pair of people. You aren't entirely sure what they arguing bout just cause it's more yelling at each other than an actual argument. Upon a bit of investigation you see that it is a man and a woman, the man looking rather pissed off, and the women looking just as mad, but a bit scared. The man has hold of the woman and she's trying to get away but it isn't happening. What you do?"

"I would first pray that I'm never in that situation for a few reasons. But if I was, simple. Knock them both out, and call the cops. If I am really needed to see things to the end, I'll still knock them out. Might calm them down a bit, before waking them back up to talk bout what's going on. For all I know it could be either of their fault. The man might have done something, or maybe the woman, don't know at that point. And after I'm done listening, I'll offer what advice I can think of, and call the police with both of their names. Easy."

"You and your sense of justice.. assume both parties screwed up.. many would call you out for hitting a defenceless woman."

"Don't know that, the incident could have been her fault and she could have been armed. I didn't have enough details, so I would make a judgement call, which would boil down to 'both are a threat, so both get knocked out'. Why is it only a problem if it's a women though, I never got that?"

"Cause, women are to be treated with respect, and as equals."

"Not to going to get into that can of worms... Dang it.. again.." Ele sighed, having lost another hand. "Who's stacking the deck now, hmm?"

Sereb smiled, it being her turn to shuffle. "Hush, you have no proof, and I'm not stupid enough to admit to anything."

"Cheater."

"Hater."

**AN: Fluff, fluff and more fluff. Hope you all enjoy, still looking for someone to help proof read, just to have a second opinion. Send me a pm if interested. Anyways, have fun~ :)**


	21. All in on a Pair of 2's

Sereb looked through her scope, scanning the line of trees, before holding up a hand, signalling all was clear. Jin advanced forward as quietly as his large form could manage, while Phriz kept his position with Rozene, watching the groups back. _Where is he.._

Sereb kept her eyes open, trying to find a hint of Ele's form. _He isn't getting away.. We are not going to be losing a seven against one game of paint ball..Even he isn't that good.._Once Sereb was sure they were safe, she gave a short whistle, signalling the rest of the group to move forward. Sereb smiled, happy that the teams could get together for a bit of fun. It was a lovely Saturday, a week until they left for the Vytal Festival and Jin had suggested they enjoy themselves a bit. What was originally going to be a trip to an amusement park, rapidly devolved into a grudge match between the teams regarding the last field exercise.

Sereb couldn't quite remember when the discussion shifted to an all against Ele, most people hoping to get one victory against the guy, regardless of how petty or one-sided it would be. Ele accepted, an evil smirk on his face that Sereb was sure only she saw. She had a bit of a bad feeling back then, but now, she liked her odds. _He doesn't stand a chance.._

Fa Lian came out of hiding first, in usual combat gear, followed by Svend who was covering her back, with Alcee in the middle, to watch the flanks. Fa Lian motioned for the whole group to come together for a strategy meeting. "Guys.. we've been out here half an hour, and the fact that we haven't seen hide nor hair of Ele freaks me out more than actually having a shoot out with him.."

"Yes.. it doesn't seem like him.." Phriz nodded, a bit confused at his leader's actions, or lack there of.

Fa Lian looked at Sereb. "Any ideas what he's planning?"

"A couple, most likely he's tiring us out, getting us to walk around while he hides, not going to engage us till the end. The other possibility is a trap, setting up an area where we'll be unable to fight back properly. The latter isn't as likely, cause we've never been to this course before, so he can't know the lay out enough to properly set it up."

"So bro is trying to starve us out? Uncool." Svend said, keeping an eye out in case Ele tried to ambush them, trusting Sereb's judgement, but also knew how quick Ele could be in combat.

"Yes, a sound strategy though.. you know how he is, going to sleep early, waking up late. Boss man's lazy all the time so that when he gets serious, he can outlast all of us." Phriz said, checking his gun.

"Which is why we aren't going to let it happen the way he wants. Sereb, Rozene. Both of you pick a direction, head off in it. Do not work together. We got a lot of ground to cover, so we need to spread out. If you find him. Do -not- engage. Get to a safe distance, contact us over the headset. After we get his location, tail him. Do everything you can to avoid being noticed. If he's baiting a trap for us, let him. Sit back and watch." Fa Lian laid out the current plan, getting a small look from Rozene.

"If we find Ely, can't we just take the shot?~ I know he's good, but me and Sereb could just snipe him~ We could end the match then and there~" Rozene suggested, thinking through his odds of survival.

"Yes, but you will only get one shot. I trust you Rozy. But, this is Ele. I'd rather us play it safe, than to take a gamble. With that said, if you get a perfect shot lined up, don't hesitate. Take it, and run, in case you miss." Fa Lian knelt down in the dirt, drawing a square. "This is the course, perfect square. If I remember correctly, there is a river here, and here. A small hill here, and the rest is forest. We are here, west of the hill. We will make our way there while you two run recon." Fa Lian drew a few symbols as she talked, giving a visual aid.

"Alright Fay~ I'll head south, check out the river for any signs of him~ I almost feel sorry once we surround him~"

'Rozene, don't get too cocky. This is Boss man, and we allowed him to use his semblance. There is a reason we aren't going full-out assault here. Cause it's stupid, and would cost us too many people. Keep your head level, and if we win this, I'll treat you and Phriz to drinks tonight in celebration.' Jin finally chimed in, a large grin on his lips.

"Alright team, let's do our thing. Sereb, Rozy. Good luck, now go give him hell." Fa Lian waved the pair of hunter faunus off with a confident grin. _Ele, you do not realize how much trouble you are in.._

* * *

Sereb scanned the trees again, she'd departed north roughly ten minutes ago, keeping a look out for any sign of activity. _Nothing.. Ele is a lot of things, but he's not good enough to hide from me.._Satisfied with her scan, Sereb jumped to the next branch, keeping her touch light as the branches flew by beneath her. Sereb kept hopping from place to place, before she heard a sound to the south.

Sereb stopped dead in her tracks, hiding behind the foliage as she waited for whoever was coming to appear. _Has to be Ele, Fa Lian wouldn't change the plan without telling us, and sending two people to scout would be just increase our losses if we got discovered. _Sereb kept low on the branch, it groaned slightly under her weight, but nothing that couldn't be explained away as the wind.

Eventually Sereb's patience paid off, seeing a blue blur speed under her. _Probably almost ran into the main group and is beating a retreat before they noticed. Perfect. _Sereb moved to the next branch, barely able to keep pace with Ele while still being quiet. _Good thing I heard him when I did. _

Ele stopped once he believed he was clear, not seeming to notice the sniper he was infuriating. _How paranoid is a guy that even when he believes he's safe, that he'll move from cover to cover as if he's dodging a team of snipers... Well considering I'm trying to get him in my scope at this second, I guess he has a right to be paranoid._ Sereb sighed as Ele ducked behind an outcropping of rocks, meaning she had to change positions to keep an eye on him, even if he was moving at a slower pace.

Sereb ran along the treetops, getting to her new vantage point, looking through her scoop. _Oh dust.. this isn't goo-_

"Do not turn on your radio." Ele said voice laced with aura, stopping her just as she reached for the talk button, now unable to warn her team that she was taken out. Sereb felt the gun barrel pressed gently against her back.

"Until you I say so, you may not shoot me, or tag me with paint." Ele finished, putting a safeguard in place.

Sereb sighed. "Alright my Lord, guess I'm prisoner and accomplice now?" She accepted defeat, seeing no point in making Ele waste time and aura commanding her. _Wonder if Fa Lian will call me a traitor for this.. ah well. _Sereb smiled, turning to see Ele, the bottoms of his slacks a bit damp. _Must have doubled back over the river to avoid Rozene instead of the main group, that's why he was in such a hurry._

"You know I hate that name right.."

"Well, seeing as I've been taken hostage and am now working for the 'enemy' it only seems fitting.."

"Oddly friendly for a prisoner of war, you sure this is a hostage situation, or did you just defect over to my side?"

"Bit of both really, I will admit I had every intention of splattering you with paint the moment I got a good shot."

"Ouch, the puppy has fangs. Anyways... what was Fa Lian's Plan? I almost had trouble with Rozene at the south river before running into you." Ele said, confirming Sereb's suspicions.

Sereb stuck her tongue out at Ele, before explaining what Fa Lian hoped to do. The pair conversed for bout twenty minutes, bouncing tactics, counters and plans off each other till they worked out one suitable for them. From that point, they split up, both knowing what they had to do.

* * *

"Ok, according to what Sereb and Rozy told us, Ele has holed up here." Fa Lian pointed to another impromptu diagram.

"It's a good spot~ He must have gotten lucky and the wind removed a bit of cover~ Cause it is nearly impossible to find~"

"Alright. So the plan is simple. Ele is obviously trying to wait us out, but we aren't so willing to oblige. We are going to split up, and all come in at once from separate directions. If you get spotted, or shot, go down quietly. If he uses his semblance, fight it a bit, and stall for time. Ok, let's move out. We got a hunter to hunt."

* * *

Sereb looked up at the hill, seeing the cluster of trees on top where Ele set up his fake home base. She watched as the group quietly moved up, everyone sliding from one form of cover to the next until they'd were only bout 20 yards from the entrance to the hiding hole. Sereb didn't say anything, indicating that they were all clear. Rozene kept his mouth shut, not hearing anything out of the ordinary as well.

Once they were in a few feet of the hidey hole, Ele sprung the trap, dropping down out of a tree near the edge of the cluster. Sereb smiled a bit as she saw him drop down, no-one noticing just yet, until he pulled out his gun, firing 3 rounds, hitting Fa Lian, Jin and Alcee in the back.

As soon as Ele fired, Sereb brought her gun up, firing a round into Phriz's side, and was halfway through her turn, when she felt a pellet hit her in the gut. She saw a delighted Rozene, jumping up in place.

"We won~ We won~" Rozene walked over to Ele, the pair high-fiving as Rozene grinned at the group. Ele kept a small smile on his face as Rozene turned around to do a bit of gloating. "Sorry guys~ But Ely offered me these amazing tickets to this new sho-~"

Ele cut Rozene off with a point-blank shot to the back. "Rewarded as a traitor deserves.." Ele chuckled, laughing at the stun faces all around.

"What.. da.. hell did you do, bro?" Svend asked, holstering the paint pistol.

"Easy, played the field.. By a small stroke of luck I found Rozene before he found me and offered him a deal, that we could share the winnings like the good guy I am. Then he spilled the beans on where everyone was and heading. So I found Sereb, got her in. She was going to shoot Rozene as well, but I got him to off her, and since I have no issues with messing with Rozene, I shot him. Meaning I won. Seven against one." Ele had the biggest grin on his face, obviously happy that things worked out so well.

"Rozene.. we be having a talk when we get back to the dorm bout selling out your homies.. you dig?"

"Indeed.. we need to educate our dear teammate in the proper etiquette and rules of group combat.."

"Oooooh yes we are.. Rozy you are not getting away with this.."

Rozene seemed to shrink back at the glares he was getting, while Ele just chuckled, thinking he earned it. Phriz and Jin were also giving Sereb a few dirty looks, before Ele put their concerns to rest. "Sereb didn't sell out though, she had to follow orders, so don't blame her too much."

"Alright Boss man... still... I thought we had you."

"Almost did, I will freely admit I got lucky by finding Rozene, and being able to convince him to sell out. If I hadn't gotten those breaks I really would have just dug a hole and take you out near the time limit."

Jin chuckled. 'Alright Boss man, you won, guess that means you decide where we eat tonight.'

"Sure, but first how bout all of you get changed. Wouldn't want to be walking around in paint, now would you?" Ele gave one last little smirk at his underhanded win.

The group response to that was unanimous. All of them pulled out their guns and unloaded on him.

"Looks like you'll be joining us in the change rooms m'lord." Sereb smirked back, as Svend and Phriz laughed at how ridiculous Ele looked.

**AN: Another filler chapter, cause why not? Reviews, comments and concerns are always welcome, but hope you all enjoyed it**


	22. Calm

_Only a few days left.. till it's all over.. what am I going to do? If I win? If I lose? No.. I won't lose. I've trained too hard.. I've given my entire life, I've worked harder than anyone. I will not lose again. Five years, and four tournaments.. This is the beginning of my reign. My word is law, My Will absolute._

* * *

"Alright.. take five everyone, we are done for tonight.. And before you go, I got something to say." Ele told his team, using a towel to wipe away the sweat he'd built up over the four-hour sparring session. Ele tossed the towel onto one of the training area benches, seeing another team practicing on the other side of the large training hall, a few of them seemed familiar, but Ele eventually shrugged, sitting down as he let everyone else catch their breath.

Jin and Phriz eventually sat on the floor in front of him, bickering in the sign language Ele was forcing everyone to learn, thinking it'd be useful for field assignments. Sereb joined them a few moments later, sitting next to Ele. Ele noticed that the distance she sat away from seemed to be getting smaller in the past few weeks, where it was now at the point where she was almost leaning on him. _Probably tired, I've been putting her through the paces with all this extra training recently.._

"Alright... I'm terrible with this kind of stuff.. so I'll just say this.. as far as I know, all 4 of us are entering the tournament in the Vytal Festival. Correct?" Ele asked, seeing three nods of agreement.

"Alright.. then I just thought I'd mention this.. Jin, Phriz, and Sereb.. all of you are strong.. unless something happens and you pull a very unlucky match up.. all of you will make it to the quarter-finals, semi-finals, whichever.. I just.. In case it does happen, I have two things to ask of you.. do not hold back. We are a team, and we respect each other. So do not throw a match cause you want someone else to win.. that is disrespectful to not only your opponent, but the other people who you defeated to advance in the fight.."

Once again, there was a moment where everyone nodded, eyes still on Ele. "And finally.. do not hold a grudge on -anyone- who defeats you. Teammate or otherwise. As someone who's gone down that path, it does nothing but ruin you... aside from that.. as a friend, and a possible enemy.. I wish the three of you good luck, and I hope you can truly show me what you are made of." Ele smiled, before breaking up the meeting, so the three of them could go pack, since they were leaving a day before him.

* * *

"Ever been to Vale, Phriz?"

"Once or twice with the family for a few business trips. Didn't see much of it.. though I do know a few nice restaurants that we can go to... ugh.. why did I remind my self.. now I am craving those burrito's... thanks Sereb."

"Not a problem, though a burrito sounds great.. now you got me doing it!" Sereb shut her suitcase, finally satisfied with the assortment of clothes and items she'd packed.

"Not my fault! You asked!" Phriz shot back, stuffing a few more shirts into his travel bag.

'Hey, guys, silly question, but why isn't Boss man joining us on the flight tomorrow?' Jin sat up, having packed his stuff last night.

Phriz took a moment to read the question. "I think he just needed to finish a project or something he's been working on with Crat. Like how Rozene's group left yesterday cause they'd nothing else to do here. Fa Lian runs a tighter ship than even Boss man. The difference being the Boss Man didn't want us to wait up."

'Well she does Alcee as back up. You'd be stupid to argue with those two... I'm pretty sure Boss man would be much worse if our resident puppy was less smitten fan-girl and more serious partner..' Phriz coughed to cover up a chuckle, while Sereb shot them a few dirty looks.

"Laugh it up boys, but when we get back from the festival, don't complain bout losing to me and Ele. Cause I will happily point out that you two bozo's have been slacking on training lately, then who'll be laughing, as the only two out of this team that won't make it to a finals." Sereb grinned.

'Where this confidence coming from? You can barely hold your own against the Boss man, and apparently there is at least one person there who regularly hands him his royal behind on a silver platter. And we have no idea what other monsters will be there. This isn't a regional tournament Sereb, this is for anyone who wishes to attend.' Jin typed out, the ever-present, silent voice of reason.

"Simple, this is my chance to prove to Ele how strong I've gotten.. I may even get a chance to take out Pyrrha..now -that- would be more than enough proof to show him how strong I am.." Sereb started to lose herself in the fantasy or winning against the Invincible Woman, before getting snapped back to reality.

"Remnant to Sereb, hello, anyone home? You realize what you are saying, right? If not, let me repeat. You were spewing some nonsense bout beating Pyrrha 'Goddess of the Battlefield' Nikos.. I have faith in your abilities Sereb, but people like Ele and Pyrrha. They are in a whole other class of power. You've seen him fight when he's serious. He's a walking fortress if he tries. Remember out first day as a team? I went at him with everything I had, giving it my all out of fear and desperation, with his only respond was to curb-stomp me without having to use a weapon."

Sereb stared at Phriz. "Didn't take you for the type that gave up so easily Phriz... You never know how far you can go until you try.. that's why Ele talked to us earlier. He knows how hard we've worked to get to this point... as Svend would say. 'Shut yo face, and get ready for an ass whoopin' cause that is -exactly- what this team is going to do."

Jin smirked, laying down on his bed, seeing that thinks had worked out. Phriz sighed, agreeing with Sereb. "Yes.. Sereb. Jin. I want to see all of you in the semi finals. So I can beat the dust out of one of you, before finally giving our dear Boss Man a lesson on karma." Phriz's attitude changed around at the thought of a chance to fight a serious Ele.

"Good, and since we are packed, who's up for something to eat before we head out?" Sereb suggested, getting a unanimous agreement from the peanut gallery.

**AN: Finally got this up. Tis a short one, but we are finally getting to the meat of stuff. Hope you all enjoy, leave a review, comment or whatever with thoughts, or just to tell me I suck. All of which is help full~ Have fun everyone~**


	23. First thing on the list? Start a riot

"I did not expect Phriz to be the first up.. or to actually be willing to meet Ele at the airship docks.." Sereb yawned, as she and Jin slowly walked towards where Ele would be landing.

'He's got a date with Rozene today, and since he promised that this time he'd be here to welcome Ele, he probably just wanted to get it out-of-the-way so he could go enjoy the sights with Lover boy.' Jin lazily tapped out on his scroll, looking both ways before they crossed the street.

"Makes sense I guess.. I'm almost jealous of those two..." Sereb sighed, the docks finally in sight.

'Why? I'm sure Boss man wouldn't be offended by a few cuddles and public displays of affection. If anything he seems like the type that would love that... so how bout you welcome to Vale with a big old kiss on the lips? That'll definitely grab his attention.' Jin grinned, getting punched in the side by Sereb.

"Shut up you, no way I could do that.. well.. not yet... a kiss would be nice.. I just.. well don't want to embarrass him to be seen with me..."

'Shut up yourself, you know the boss doesn't get embarrassed. And I am willing to bet you 500 lien that he'd kiss you right back in on the docks, people watching be damned.'

"I'm not going to take that bet , cause I'm not going to kiss him.. yet.. after the tournament.. then I'll kiss him."

'I wish you luck Sereb, you may need it.' Jin typed out, looking at some of the people coming out of the docks, a lot of strong-looking huntresses and hunters mixed among the crowd.

"Thanks.. now let's go find Phriz, hopefully he hasn't cause any trouble."

'Great, now you just jinxed it.' Jin chuckled, sure that Phriz wouldn't do anything to stupid in an hour by himself.

* * *

Ele got off the airship, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. _Ah.. nothing like that first bit of air after a trip... I really should get one of those air-miles cards with the amount I've been flying lately.. I'll check into that later.._ Ele looked around, hoping to find his team in the crowd so they could show him where the hotel was.

_Weird... Sereb said that they'd be here.. Might be traffic or something.. guess I'll just wait._ Ele made his way towards the exit, hearing a high-pitched feminine voice shout at someone. "You dolt! Why should I be apologizing when you ran into me!?" Ele turned his head to look through the crowd around him, seeing a petite girl with snow-white hair, flanked by a tall blonde, a raven haired faunus and an even shorter girl with red tinged hair and a cloak.

_Well, looks like those are the competition.. don't seem to threatening.._ Ele did a quick look over of their weapons. _Rapier.. sniper rifle and sword of some sort.. hm, interesting._ Ele started to move on until he saw a familiar figure making its way through the crowd towards the group of girls, the white-haired one still shouting.

_Oh for dust sakes..._Ele began to make his the crowd of girls, having guessed what was going on. As he slowly worked his way through the crowd, he saw a patch of purple in the middle of the group of girls, confirming that Phriz had somehow gotten into trouble. But Sereb and Jin beat him to the group, turning them around as Sereb seemed to ask what the problem was.

Ele breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that Sereb was beginning to defuse the situation. Just as soon as Ele felt things were safe, Phriz seemed to say something stupid, the large chested blonde turning around to lift him up by the shirt. This caused the whole group to turn around, staring at Phriz who had a dumb look on his face.

Ele finally made it through the crowd, a couple of steps away from the group, which he crossed without hesitation, not stopping to make his presence known as he stepped beside Sereb, unclasping Zima and Snegm from her holsters.

* * *

Sereb blinked and panicked for a moment as she felt someone go for her guns, till she saw that it was just Ele. She gave him a small look, not sure what he was going to do, while the rest of the group's attention was at the arguing between the angered blonde and Phriz.

Sereb took a quiet step back, grabbing Glavni off her back, breaking it down from rifle to dual revolver form, just in-case, hiding the weapons behind her back.

Sereb was a bit confused as Ele took the step needed to stand directly behind the blonde, raising Zima to the back of her neck, as well as raising Snegm to be level with the temple of the cat faunus. Phriz noticed Ele just before he pulled back the hammers on the revolvers, all the blood draining from his face as the assembled group heard an audible clunk.

"Miss, I just got off the airship, so I do not want my first memory of Vale to be of shooting two girls in the back of the head, so please. Put the idiot down so that we can talk this out like professionals." Ele's voice was soft, but everyone could feel the iron behind it.

Neither the blond or the faunus made a move, knowing that they were in a bad spot, but the red-head and the girl with snow-white hair didn't hesitate to reach for their weapons, aimed at Ele, only to be greeted with Sereb staring at them, Glavni's barrels pointed straight at them. "I suggest you drop them, -now-"

Ele sighed, no one saying anything for a moment. "Sugar Tooth, stand down."

Sereb nodded and complied, slowly lowering her guns before putting them back in her holsters.

"Now. Blondie. I'm going to lower both of my guns, when I do that, please lower the purple haired idiot so no one gets hurt. I've had a long flight, and would rather not like to make enemies or corpses until I've had a good night sleep." Ele finished, lowering his guns, tossing them to Sereb, who caught them without missing a beat, gently sliding her revolvers back into their respective holsters.

The blonde lowered Phriz down as well, still looking like he'd seen the face of death. Red head and snowy both lowered their weapons as well, still looking at Ele with suspicion. "Phriz.. come here a second..." Ele motioned Phriz over, who only responded with a meek nod. "You too Jin." Jin nodded, having a good laugh internally.

"Jin, take a hold of Phriz, and make sure he doesn't run away." Jin complied to Ele's wishes, wrapping Phriz up in a giant bear hug, as he squirmed to get away.

"Now, I'm sorry for such a rude first introduction ladies. Ele Saphir, pleasure to meet you. I am the team leader for Phriz, so if you could please tell me what happened, I'd be happy to help clear anything up." Ele smiled, looking at the Blonde who seemed to be the leader of the group if he had to guess.

Instead the short red-head stepped forward, offering her hand. "Ruby Rose. Leader of team Rwby. As for what happened.. well.. Weiss and um.. Phriz? Walked into each other, and Weiss got coffee spilled on her.. and I think things just spiraled out of control... from there." Ruby motioned to the white-haired girl.

Ele shook Ruby's offered hand before looking at Weiss. "I see, I'm sorry, I'm sure Phriz would have been willing to pay for the cost of cleaning the dress.. he's an idiot, not rude. Most of the time.."

"Well, that dolt wasn't watching where he was going and ruined my new uniform! I was planning on wearing it to the tournament, but now I might never get this stain out! He offered to pay, but I didn't want just that. I wanted an apology." Weiss motioned to the large coffee stain on the side of her skirt.

"In his defense.. you weren't looking where you were going either.. he was just standing there.. if anything it was your fault.." the Faunus offered, getting a small look from Weiss.

"Blake's right.. though his attitude didn't help..Yang by the way." the Blonde nodded in agreement with Blake.

"I see.. well.. how much for the dress?" Ele asked, wanting to just get this over with.

"200 lien for cleaning and damages."

That caused Ele to blink.._200 Lien.. no way it's that expensive._

"I'm sorry, two hundred? For a dress? I'm sorry but that's a bit steep."

Weiss turned her nose up at Ele, Sereb's ears twitching a bit at the disrespect in her voice. "It's a combat skirt, first of all. Secondly, this outfit was designed by the top Schnee scientists for battle, so it was made with top of the line materials. Be glad your ignoramus of teammate only stained it. 200 lien is the bare minimum of what it'd cost to properly clean this. Do not blame me for your friends stupid mistake."

Ele sighed, grabbing his wallet out of his pants pocket.. "Aren't you a bundle of joy...Is Snow Angel always like this?" Ele asked the group of girls, as he counted out some money.

Ruby, Blake and Yang giggled that someone other than Jaune had come up with the name 'Snow Angel'.

"Nah, this is Snow Angel on a good day." Yang smirked. Weiss giving her a dirty look as well.

"Good, cause to know, I'll avoid her on a bad day then." Ele finally counted out 300 Lien, handing it to Weiss. "The extra hundred is for you to apologize for shouting at Phriz. He's an idiot, but he doesn't do things with the intention of causing trouble."

Weiss took the money, looking at Phriz, then Ele "I refuse." Weiss handed the extra Lien back to Ele, who handed it to Phriz.

"Here you go Phriz, for wasting your time, Snow angel gave you a hundred lien. There. Now everyone is happy. Jin, you can let him go, I'm sure he's got a date with Rozene or something that he wants to get to."

Jin nodded, putting Phriz back down, stretching out his now crushed frame.

"Thanks Boss man, going to be feeling that for a week, all cause of some-" Phriz's rant was interrupted by a punch from Sereb, shutting him up before more trouble was caused. "I'm just going to... go find Rozene.. and enjoy a lunch date paid by the oh so famous Schnee's.." Phriz laughed quietly and left, beating a retreat before he had to take anymore abuse today.

The group stood in silence for a minute, before Jin got a message on his scroll, face lighting up with a smile. 'Sorry Boss Man, you mind if I disappear for a while?' Jin asked with his scroll.

"Seriously Jin.. we are in a different city, kingdom and time zone. What do you do Friday nights?"

'Secret Boss man, I'll tell you one day, just not today.'

"Ya fine whatever, go do your thing. And if you come back to the hotel late, send me a message and I'll open the door."

Jin nodded, jogging off to dust knows where.

Sereb giggled. "One day we should follow him you know.."

"I would, but everyone is entitled to their privacy, and since it's not hurting the team, I don't see why we need to know his secret.." Ele shrugged, seeing the members of team RWBY squirm a bit at his words, but he left it alone. "So, are you ladies here for the tournament as well? You are obviously huntresses."

Ruby nodded excitedly. "Yes! Well... no. We are students at Beacon, so we are here regardless. Where are you guys from? And may I please see that girls guns? The look so cool, I didn't think someone could make a rifle that split into two guns!"

Ele and Sereb both blinked, Sereb nodding and taking out her guns as Ruby rushed over to look at them, while Ele was in his own thoughts. _Beacon then.. guess these guys are the real competition._"Wait.. why are Beacon students at an international Airship dock?"

Blake smirked. "Weiss wanted to spy on the competition.."

"I did not! We are here to observe and welcome them to the city!" Weiss shot back, a bit tired of her motives being judged.

"If that's the case, can I have my Lien back as a welcome to Vale gift?"

"An entirely separate matter." Weiss said, crossing her arms.

"Alright, fair point. Next time though, don't spy on people. It's rude." Ele grinned, getting a small laugh.

"So handsome, where are you two from? Obviously not local, cause I would remember seeing you before." Yang asked, giving Ele a good look over now that she didn't have a gun to her back. She noticed the look she'd gotten from Ele's teammate as well. Yang smiled a bit, her mind making some interesting connections, but she left it alone for now.

"Aegis in Atlas, though Sereb and I are originally from Mistral."

Weiss froze at the mention of Mistral, and took a small step back, doing her best to just look uninterested, having learned some very important information.

Ele kept talking with Blake and Yang, finding out about a few local attractions while Sereb and Ruby talked shop, until eventually Ele had to separate the two so that he could finally get some breakfast. Once the pair left, Weiss looked at her team. "Does anyone have Pyrrha's scroll info?"

"Ruby has Jaune's, I'm sure he could send give her a message? They are training together as we speak.. why?" Blake said, not liking the look in Weiss's eyes.

"Simple, because we just found one of the biggest threats in the tournament and Pyrrha knows how to deal with him..."

* * *

"I still don't understand what is so important that you called everyone to meet in the dorms. Jaune and I were making exceptional progress in our training." Pyrrha said, more than a bit irate at her time with Jaune being interrupted.

"Simple, we need information, that you have." Weiss said, sitting on her bed as the rest of team JNPR piled into their room.

"I am afraid I do not follow?" Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, not sure what Weiss meant, and neither was anyone else on the teams.

"Ele! Ele Saphir! He is here for the Vytal Festival!" Weiss shouted, not sure why no one else was panicking as she saw her chances at winning get even smaller.

"Yes, I was more than aware that Ele would be coming. I have been for the past month or so. I still fail to see how this is important? He's a hunter in training just like us, and he's more than welcome to participate in the tournament. Just like us. The fact that you are having issue with his involvement is a bit disconcerting Weiss.."

"Um.. excuse me.. small question. Weiss, what's so special bout Ele? He doesn't seem like a bad person.. well.. guns to the back of Yang and Blake's head none withstanding, since he did that to protect a teammate... why are you so worried? Is he a member of the white fang?" Ruby asked, a bit tired bout Weiss worrying.

"No you dolt! He isn't a faunus or a criminal, but he is a monster." This caused both Pyrrha and oddly enough Jaune to frown, but Weiss continued. "He is the one person that Pyrrha ever had to take seriously in a fight. Even with her massively broken semblance! No offense Pyrrha.."

"Some taken.. not for me though. Ele is a lot of things, but he isn't a monster." Pyrrha stared at Weiss, a serious expression on her face.

"How is he not? You know his semblance, that stupid command thing of his! It's dangerous! And the way he uses it is just insulting to people!"

"What semblance?" Jaune asked, not remembering Pyrrha mention anything bout Ele's semblance when they'd talked after the fight at the funeral.

Pyrrha sighed, deciding to spill the beans. "Ele's semblance is usually nicknamed Tyrant's Will, just as mine is sometimes called the Invincible Warrior.. while my semblance messes with polarity, so that I am basically untouchable with another metal weapon.. Ele's is..more extreme.. he can control a person through his words.. though he is nowhere near as bad as you are making him, Weiss."

"He pulled a gun on us! That was his first reaction to a fight! Not diplomacy, but lethal force!" Weiss shouted.

"A fight you started.." Blake said quietly.

"Which he escalated!"

"Either way.. why am I here? If you basically wanted to warn people about Ele, you have fulfilled your goal, as well as putting quite a few incorrect thoughts bout him into their heads." Pyrrha shook her head, not happy with having to be involved with this.

"You are here so we can think of a way to beat him..I will not lose to someone who pulls a gun on my teammates or can use them like puppets to his will." Weiss looked right back at Pyrrha who sighed again.

"You want my advice? Alright then, here it is. Everyone but Weiss is has a good chance of winning if they do what they normally do. My only explicit instructions are to not allow Ele to get the fight into his pace, or you will be in trouble. As for you Weiss.. the only advice I can give to you a pat on the back, and wishing you good luck cause you'll need it."

The whole group blinked, a few taking mental notes at her advice, but Weiss was just shocked. "So I have nothing to worry bout him for?"

"Oh Dust no. You are his ideal type to fight against. You rely on tons of planning and technique. Ele, such as myself have many ways to completely shut down everything you might throw at him. Where I'd simply move your rapier a bit to the left so your counterattack misses, Ele will simply say 'Kneel' at the beginning of the match, cause he'll be able to see the fear and lack of conviction in you. Leaving him with nothing more to do that choke you out till the ref calls the match."

"I am not afraid of him! I just want to be properly prepared."

"Weiss..I've fought Ele for years now. I know him. His semblance requires either one of two conditions to be met before he will even bother trying to control you. You need either a greater amount of aura, which you don't,have. Or, you need to be calm, collected, and driven. Panicking will do nothing for you, only allow him to win. There is a reason his semblance is called Tyrant's Will. Anyone can refuse him, but you need to have a stronger drive than him. And there are very few people more driven than him."

"Pyrrha, I don't understand why you are so mad bout this. I just wanted us to have this meeting so that there would be a better chance of us winning."

"I am not mad. I simply do not enjoy hearing someone I know disrespect someone like Ele. He is by no means the perfect person, or hunter. He's selfish, and can go overboard at times, but he cares for his teammates, would never run away from protecting an innocent and would give his life to save the one he loves. So Weiss, if you don't respect him as a person, I can't force you to. But give him the respect he deserves as hunter."

"Fine.. guess this meeting is over then, I apologize for wasting all of your time.."

* * *

"You know.. Weiss seems to really have it out for Ele.." Jaune said, himself and Pyrrha now back in their dorm room, Ren and Nora having gone to the cafeteria for dinner, apparently pancakes were on the menu tonight. Jaune felt sorry for anyways who got in her way.

"Weiss is a competitive person.. and she's probably nervous. This is their first tournament for a lot of people. As a Schee she's probably got a lot of pressure on her to perform well... and maybe Ele was just the last straw." Pyrrha suggested, cleaning off Milos since they were done training for the day.

"Yes.. um.. well.. He isn't really that bad a person, is he?" Jaune asked, doing a quick check on Corcea Mors, kind of glad he had a simple weapon that didn't need as much work as some of his friends and teammates.

"No, not by spades.. to most who know -of- him, he's a manipulative monster, who is only kept around because he kills more Grimm than he does people."

"I'm really hoping there is a 'but' following that statement.."

"Yes.. there is. But, to people who know him, he's cold. Sure, but if he warms up to you, you are probably one of the safest people around.. you heard what Ruby said. He did not hesitate to pull out a gun because Yang was threatening a teammate of his. He doesn't have a lot of friends, so he does everything he can to keep them.. and Sereb.. if you value your life, you do not hurt Sereb.."

"Why? What happens?"

Pyrrha sighed, setting Milos down on top of Akouo. "If I'm remembering correctly it was 3rd year. I think a few weeks before the first tournament in fact... Ele was always avoided by the teachers cause of his semblance, as stupid as it was.. and since Sereb spent a lot of time with Ele, she was sort of left alone as well.. anyways.. there were some new kids that came to Sanctum that year, and one of them wasn't a big fan of faunus.."

"So he bullied Sereb?"

"To say the least.. think Cardin.. but well.. more vicious.. But yes.. it went on for a while, Sereb feeling the full force of the kid's cruelty, ranging from stupid pranks to physical abuse.. This went on for a bit. Ele knew something was wrong, but kids are kids, and if they know one thing, it's how to not get caught.."

"Why didn't Sereb just tell someone?"

"I honestly don't know why she didn't tell the teachers, embarrassment maybe? But I know why she didn't want to tell Ele. Sereb was always trying her hardest to catch up to Ele, wanting to be his equal. She wanted to solve the problem herself..but eventually the kids slipped up, and Ele caught them in the act of harming Sereb.."

"And that's all the evidence he needed?"

"With the bruises she'd gotten at that point, Ele didn't need a lot to convince him of what to do the moment the culprit was found.. if I had been there I would have joined him.."

"So what happened?"

"Thirteen year old Ele took on four boys, his age, broken a total of five arms, a couple of ribs and gave each boy enough scars to last them a life time.. coming out with barely a scratch on him"

"Whoa.. how'd the parents react.."

"They couldn't do anything, by that point the teachers had got involved and found out what happened.. and well.. Ele had a talk with the kids.. probably the only time I've ever seen him use his semblance in that manner.."

"What'd he do?"

"Simple, he told them to never speak of what happened here, and added a small touch. Every time that they ever think of harming a faunus again.. they would remember and relive the beating they just got, feel the bones break, skin tear open...I'm not sure if that detail actually panned out, but they were a lot less cruel to faunus after that.. Ele was not a child to be messed with at that time.. That's the incident where people started referring to him as a monster.."

"Um.. Pyrrha.. he doesn't fight like that nowadays.. right?"

"Hm? No.. more often than not, he'll just use some scare tactics to force his opponent to surrender so that he doesn't have to actually fight them.. During our second year through the tournament, I was the only person that he fought that didn't just give up once they had the chance, or was forced to give up by him.. I even joked that the reason he lost that year is cause he didn't get a proper warm up.."

"Well, I don't think that'll be the case this year.. I could tell that Yang is itching to fight him, and Nora had a scary look in her eyes.. I think Snow Angel is the only one that thinks it's a big deal."

"No.. this year will be a lot of fun.." Pyrrha grinned, looking at Jaune. "Come on, there is no point wasting time, let's get some more combat practice in.." Pyrrha walked over to Jaune, putting a hand on his shoulder as he reached for Corcea Mors. "Ah ah ah.. no.. hand to hand. You can leave your weapon here."

Jaune sighed a bit, not looking forward to the bruises he saw in his future.

_He's so adorable when he looks defeated.._Pyrrha giggled, leading her confused partner to the training ground.


	24. Ringer

_First day Sereb.. look sharp.. _Sereb adjusted her belts, making sure the holsters were in place, looking like a nervous wreck to Jin and Phriz, though they weren't much better. Jin kept checking for cracks in his shield, while Phriz was pacing a hole into the hotel carpet.

Ele was the only one who looked relaxed, sitting in a chair, reading a book as he let his hair dry, the last to shower on this stressful Monday morning. _Lucky.. he's used to all this.._"Hey Ele.. any advice for our first time fighting in the ring?" Sereb asked, hoping for a few last-minute tips, or words of encouragement.

"Simple, take a breath, and don't try to stay calm. It will only make you panic cause you won't be able to force it. Standing in front of the crowd is something that takes time to get used to, so just bide time until you are comfortable, then unleash hell. But I'm sure you three will get used to it quickly.. you are by no means weak, or shy.." Ele said, only looking up from his book to check the time, his voice conveying the confidence he had in his team to not falter cause of something like stage fright.

Jin and Phriz straightened up at this, as Ele put his book down. "It's eight, let's get some breakfast. A personal suggestion. For the brave, I recommend eggs and toast, with some milk, for those who want to play it safe, toast with peanut butter."

Phriz raised an eyebrow. "What's the difference?"

"Simple, peanut butter tastes the same going down as it does coming back up."

* * *

Sereb took a breath, sitting on the bench in the waiting room. _It's almost 2... only a few minutes left till my match.. _She took another breath, following Ele's advice, not trying to keep calm, but not allowing herself to panic. She'd seen Jin's match roughly an hour earlier in a different stadium, glad that he managed to put on a good show, taking an early beating from the older contestant before overpowering him.

_I hope Phriz's match goes alright.._Sereb did the last check of all four revolvers, happy with their condition, but still doubting herself, thinking she missed something tiny but important. She knew he would be watching her fight, since his match wasn't for another three hours. _Still.. 4 massive coliseums.. I knew Vale was big.. but this seems a bit excessive.._

There was a knock on the door to the waiting room, before a female worker came in. "Miss Zakon, you match will begin shortly, so if you could please follow me." Sereb nodded, taking one last deep breath before standing up to follow the attendant. _This is it.. let's rock and roll.._

* * *

Looking over her opponent, Sereb was not too impressed, or worried, he had a bulky build, but wasn't close to Jin's giant size. He seemed to be her age, but the distance between them might be playing tricks with her eyes. They stood at opposite ends of the arena, waiting in tunnels as the announcer called them out. The boy was announced first. _Cardin Winchester.. Ele didn't mention him under people to watch out for..assume he's a fourth year, just for safety._

Sereb was called out, finally exiting the tunnel to feel the full force of the crowd, their cheering almost deafening her. Sereb did her best to walk confidently out onto the marked starting spot, doing a quick scan of the crowd, finally finding Ele on her left side in the front row. _He must have pulled a few strings to get that seat.. _Ele gave her a small thumbs up, knowing that's all he needed to do.

Sereb pulled Zima and Snegm, spinning the chambers, as the boy hefted a large black mace onto his shoulders. The announcers did a quick reminder of the rules. _Yes yes.. 10 minute rounds, first to go in the red loses. Can surrender at any time. If the fight goes past 10 minutes, the person with the highest aura wins..Hm. Melee fighter going by the build and weapon.. the crystal worries me.. but I'll figure that out when the time comes._

Sereb put her guns back in their holsters as the announcer began to count down. An eternity seemed to pass as each number was spoken until finally, the signal was given.

Neither fighter hesitated, Cardin charged forward, mace held in one hand at his side, while Sereb quickly drew Zima, firing every round in the chamber at the carrot top. Eleven of the twelve fired found their mark, chipping away at the boy's aura.

Before Sereb could reload, Cardin was upon her, his mace swiping in from Sereb's left side. "Come here mutt!"

Sereb jumped back, narrowly avoiding the mace, feeling the wind pass by her. _Do not get hit by that, don't get hit by that.. _Sereb dashed to the side as Cardin continued his barrage of swipes, each strike smoothly transitioning into the next one as Sereb narrowly kept her distance from the piece of metal that seemed all too willing to crush her to chunky faunus bits.

Finally seeing an opening, Sereb dashed forward, getting in extremely close to Cardin, unloading every bullet in Zima into the boy's chest during her short charge, before gripping Snegm by it's barrel, doing a tight spin to pistol whip the boy right in the nose, using a bit of aura to strengthen the blow. Sereb didn't let up as Cardin tumbled onto the ground, one hand holding his nose. "I'm going to get you for that bitch!"

Sereb jumped over Cardin, unloading round after round into his fallen form, but he managed to swipe away half of them with his mace. Once she had landed, Sereb took her distance, running backwards to the center of the ring, reloading one revolver as she fired another. Cardin to her annoyance was still holding up a steady defence but he was being worn down, almost already into the yellow.

Cardin was finally back on his feet, either dodging or frantically swatting away at the bullets that sped by him. "Alright.. no mercy to an animal.." He growled, as the crystal in his mace began to glow. Cardin took one step forward, than another as Sereb reloaded, waiting to see what the crystal did.

This was an open invitation to Cardin, as he charged forward again, mace raised over his head. _Not a ranged attack or he wouldn't be charging.. speed boost or something?_ Sereb thought, firing off a few potshots at Cardin as he got closer, testing the waters. Cardin didn't block with his mace as usual, instead he would sidestep or dodge out-of-the-way.

_Interesti-_ Sereb's thoughts got cut off as Cardin closed the last bit of distance with sudden burst of speed. "This is the part. Where you lose!" Cardin brought his mace down, the crystal glowing a deep red, as Sereb rolled to the side, feeling the mace brush against her arm.

The moment the mace hit the ground, Sereb felt the aura hit her, sending her tumbling farther than she planned, before quickly getting up. _I see.. hit the ground as they run away, they still get hurt.. clever and cruel._ Sereb saw the boy smiling at her. "Ready to give up mutt? He asked, preparing for another charge, his confidence back in that one strike.

Sereb shrugged, and went right back to firing at the idiot who didn't try to take advantage of her disorientation when he was gloating. Cardin dodged a couple, but his aura still went down from his failed attack, and the constant pecking of Sereb's bullets. "Alright mongrel... lets see how long you can dance for.."

_Ok.. now the name calling is starting to get annoying.._Sereb dodged out-of-the-way of Cardin's next charge. _One trick pony it seems.._Cardin brought his mace from down below, attempting to uppercut Sereb into the gut, but she'd already seen through his fighting style and was keeping the distance she needed so that he couldn't charge her, or manage to get a good hit in.

_Three minutes left.. let's finish this.._Sereb grinned, dodging another swipe as she unloaded another pair of bullets into Cardin's chest, bringing him dangerously close to the red, while her own aura hovered just above the yellow, a reminder that even one good blow would be serious, when a few wiffs and bare misses had already done an unusual amount of damage.

Sereb ducked under Cardin's last swing, pocketing her revolvers. "Will you just stand still! You damn mutt!" She smirked. _Well since you put it so nice.._ Sereb quickly grabbed Cardin's arm with her now free hands, throwing the larger boy over her shoulders, using his momentum against him. Cardin hit the ground with a dull thud, face first in the dirt.

Sereb dug her heel into Cardin's back as she took out Glavni, the silver barrel of the rifle shining brightly in the sun as she pointed it at the back of her opponent's back. "Cardin, was it? You've said a few mean things through this match, that I kind of take offense to.. but you know what.. as a show of good faith, when I win the tournament, I'll buy you a blender.."

"Wha-"

"So you can drink it all in." Sereb punctuated her sentence with a gunshot, hitting Cardin in the back of his neck, his aura falling into the red. Sereb smirked, walking towards the tunnel as the crowd cheered her on. _I'm starting to see why Ele did this all the time.. it's fun._

* * *

"I will admit.. you did amazing.. just.. what was with the one liner?" Ele asked, putting down his fries, with a small smile on his face.

"It seemed like a cool thing to say at the time.." Sereb blushed, taking another drink of her milkshake, enjoying her time with Ele, Jin and Phriz apparently having made a pact to let the two 'lovebirds' enjoy the festival all to themselves.

"It was, I'm just not sure a lot of people would get the joke." Ele chuckled, patting Sereb's shoulder. "Come on, I still have some time before I need to get ready for my match. Want to go see what the festival has?"

Sereb nodded, finishing her drink, as they cleaned up the mess, heading off into Vale, looking through the shops, passing art exhibits, and stepping in beat to the musical performers placed randomly among the road. before arriving at an area of the city that had carnival games.

"Vale really knows how to throw a party.." Sereb said, eyes wide at just the amount of stuff to do in this block of city streets alone.

Ele nodded, finding a ring toss game, paying for four rounds. "Indeed, got to admire their will to have fun." Ele chuckled, handing Sereb half of the brightly coloured rings, as he watched her toss them at the bottles, getting four out of ten rings onto a bottle.

"Drats.. I swear these things cheat.." Sereb pouted, looking at all the plushies that hung from the back wall, blinking when she saw one that looked oddly familiar. "Ele... did you get made into a doll?"

Ele blinked then shuddered. "No way... those were only supposed to go to Mistral.. why is one of them here!?"

Sereb giggled, looking at the little doll that was obviously Ele in his combat gear, with the crown, sigil and everything. "It''s cute.. but why?"

Ele sighed. "Third tournament. I lost to Pyrrha in the finals, and she was already doing the marshmallow cereal thing.. and apparently I'd been getting enough fans to finally be worth merchandising.. this is the business peoples words not mine, but according to market testing, the plushies would be seen as a cute and adorable, soft side.. I just signed the paper.."

Sereb burst into laughter, drawing a few people's intentions. "The Tyrant... as a plushy.. oh dust.. that is funny.. what drove you to this decision?"

Ele blushed. "I needed the money for something, so I thought I might as well."

Sereb wiped a small tear from her eyes. "Oh dust.. I am getting that.. I want to show it to everyone.."

"Not if I win it first.. Hey, excuse me" Ele called out to the booth attendant, getting his attention. "How much for the blue plushy with the crown?"

"Four rings in one set, and if you want any of the biggin's need five out of five."

"Thank you." Ele picked up his ten rings, lining up his first shot.

"No cheating Ele."

"Don't need it Sugar Tooth." Ele tossed his first ring, landing it perfectly, before steadily tossing another three, all landing on the same bottle. "I'll take the blue one I pointed out earlier" Ele smirked, the attendant nodding, tossing him the plushy.

"Thank you sir.. now for round two.." Ele set down the plushy on the counter, rolling the five remaining rings around in between his fingers, before shooting them out in rapid succession, each one spinning around the bottle top.

The attendant blinked and chuckled. "Hunter in training I'm guessing.. I don't mind ya showing off, just please don't run me outta business."

Ele shook his head and chuckled. "No sir, wouldn't dream of it, just wanted one more plushy. Mind if I just take one of the big ones off your hands, then I'll stop. I promise."

The attendant nodded. "Which ya want?"

Ele looked at Sereb, motioning for her to choose. "Oh.. well.. um.. the large Edgar doll please.." She said, looking away, with a small cough.

Ele took the large cow plushy, holding it under his arm. "Didn't take you for an Achieve Men fan." He said, as the pair continued to walk, Sereb holding the Ele plushy in her arms.

"Fa Lian introduced me to them bout a year ago.. and I'm not that big a fan. A few movie and some of their music is really all I've seen of them.."

Ele chuckled. "Fa Lian does seem like the type. If I can ask, who's your favorite?"

"Ryan, he's just interesting. You never know what he's going to do.."

"You have a friend nicknamed the Tyrant, and your favorite Achieve Man is the Mad King. You got a thing for crazy people?"

Sereb blushed. "Well.. not crazy... maybe confidence and authoritar-.. I mean..no.. shouldn't we be heading back for your match?" She said, deflecting the conversation away from her preferences in men. "What bout you mister secretive.. you said Alcee isn't your type when she's beating boys off with a stick... so what is?"

"Bout 5ft 6, faunus, silver hair, petitish body type, but then again that's mostly cause of how conservative she'd dress.. doesn't need to be that outwardly stubborn cause I'd know she has a core of steel. Preferably a ranged combatant, so I don't need to worry -too- much bout getting in her way in a mêlée fight. Would look good in black, and have these cute wolf ears. Why you ask?" Ele kept up his normal pace, taking a different route back to the coliseum his fight was to be held in.

Ele's voice was level, and honest, which is how Sereb could tell he was joking, but she still went three different shades of red upon hearing him say she'd be his perfect girl. "Shame none one like that exists.." Having to play along with the joke, did hurt a bit though..

Ele shrugged. "If you find one, let me know."

"I will."

"Good, now on an unrelated note, do you have a dress for the Vytal Festival Ball?"

"Yes, I packed one.. why?"

"Curiosity."

"Mmhmm.." _No way.. I'm just over-thinking things here.._Sereb thought, bringing the Ele doll a bit closer to her chest.

"Hey Sereb?"

"Yes?"

"We should do this more often, I like Jin and Phriz, but I still think they find me a bit intimidating.. don't know why..." Ele said, the arena now in sight.

"Yes.. we should. As for Jin and Phriz.. don't mind them, they respect you, they just are terrible at showing it to ya." Sereb smiled, seeing Ele chuckle.

"Sure thing Sugar Tooth, whatever you say." Ele gently pet Sereb. "Go find the two idiots then, and make sure they didn't lose in the first round, or I'll be giving them twice as much training when we get back."

Sereb nodded, now holding both plushies as Ele walked off into the arena, going to get ready. "I'd wish you good luck, but I'm sure you won't need it.." She said to herself.

**AN: Just cause I had some free time, thought I might as well do another chapter~ Hope everyone's been enjoying it till now. Reviews and comments are always welcome. The next few chapters are going to be rather combat and Ele heavy. So there is that warning. But yes, have a good day everyone :)**

Ps: Still looking for someone to proof read, and bounce ideas off of. If interested, send me a pm and I'll be happy to work out the details with you.


	25. A Lien for Your Thoughts?

Ele sat alone in the waiting room, head in his hands as he drowned out the rest of the world, listening only to the music flowing through the headphones attached to his scroll, and his own thoughts. _First round.. it's a no name.. my age.. short-range, mêlée type... female... scare tactics should be enough.. Patior and Pactum just in case.. no armor, too heavy, not worth it..No headgear either.. not deserving.. My word is law, My will absolute.._

* * *

Sereb sat down next to Fa Lian, having ran back to hotel to store the plushies so she wouldn't lose them, or get them dirty while walking around. They were a gift after all. _I wonder if he meant anything by asking bout the ball.. I know he's not much of a dancer..probably just concern that I didn't forget anything.. I'm an idiot for not asking him then and there..._

Fa Lian looked at Sereb. "Troubles, darling?"

"Usual.. over-thinking things, and wondering if Ele cares so much bout fighting that he forgets bout people.." Sereb felt a hand on her shoulder, turning around to see Jin, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Aww, darling.. don't worry, he's probably just stressed.. you did say that this tournament was important to him.. give him a bit more time, and I'm sure things will work out." Fa Lian smiled as well, deciding not to force the matter, knowing it'd go nowhere. "The good news is, everyone made it to the second round so far. If Ele is the only one to lose here, you have my executive position to tease the crap out of him."

The whole group laughed. "If bro loses here, he be having a lot more issues than a bit o teasin. I'd be hella shamed if as team leader, I lost in da first round." Svend said, leaning back in his chair.

"Well~ Who wants first bid?~ We all know he's going to win~ I'm putting 20 on barehanded~" Rozene said.

"You are all addicts.. 20 on Patior and Pactum. Mostly cause it'd be nice to actually see the damn things in action." Fa Lian shook her head

"Boss man is going do this easy, he wants to give them a show. I'm agreeing with Rozy, and putting 20 on unarmed." Phriz threw in.

Svend and Alcee looked at each other. "20 on Lex and Jussem" They said together, assuming that Ele would keep his secret weapon hidden for as long as possible, while still wanting to show off.

"Alright~ Moment of truth~ Bets are closed to everyone but Sereby~ What you putting in?~ And on what?~" Rozene said, counting the lien out of habit, Svend regularly messing with him by giving him a ten instead of twenty, he smiled when the total was right.

"40 on his opponent surrendering." Sereb handed Rozene the money, a few looks of disbelief crossing the groups face. "You'll see what I mean.."

"Alright Sereb, I have a feeling I just lost 20 lien, but hey. We shall see, here he comes." Phriz said, watching the arena clear out, one fighter limping out, another walking slowly. Oddly enough the one with the limp had been victorious. _Wonder if that will come back to bite him.._

"Ladies and Gentleman, in this corner, we have Amber Beros! Hunters in training at Vale's very own beacon academy! Leader of Team Aster! An elite among the elite!" The announcer's voice boomed over the stadium as a tall girl with short, spiked, red hair came running out into the arena, arms up to greet the cheers that accompanied her entrance, finally stopping at her starting place to give the crowd a bow. She wore a leather chest piece, with spiked gauntlets covering her hands, along with a pair of pants that Sereb had to guess was also armor.

_Local favorite or something? Nah, Ele would have warned us bout her, probably just has quite a few friends. _Sereb thought, not too impressed as she looked over the poor girl who Ele would be crushing in the next few minutes.

"But! What do we have here?! In the other corner! The Nightmare of Mistral! The one! One thorn in the side against the Invincible Women! Ladies and Gentleman! I am proud, and scared out of my mind! To present to you! The Tyrant! Ele Saphir!" The announcer continued, energizing the crowd even hours in.

Ele did not run out, he did not raise his arms to the mixture of cheers, and insults that were being thrown at him as he casually walked into the arena, stopping just short of his starting place, in his usual combat outfit. Sereb raised an eyebrow when she saw him move around in his coat.

"Hey Phriz.. looks like Miss Local Favorite is going to get worked over like yourself.." Sereb said as Ele took off his blue pea coat, straightening the collar with a bit of care before setting it down next to himself gently, his eyes completely ignoring his opponent.

"Oh dust.. he is.." Phriz said, whistling as Ele took out Lex and Jussum, dropping them onto his coat. Then Ele raised his arms, showing off the bright silver and blue rings he always wore on his index fingers. Patior and Pactum, before taking them off as well, putting them in the pocket of his coat.

"If Ele's intentions were to draw the ire of his adversary.. He seems to have succeed, remarkably well.." Alcee said, a bit stunned by the absolute arrogance Ele had, standing their in a light blue t-shirt with the words 'My Word, Law' printed vertically across the back, his usual black slacks, grey beanie and his black dress shoes. Ele finally took his place on the starting block, hands in his pockets, and his face a mask of boredom.

"I'm sure by that both of you know the rules! First one in the red loses! Ten minute rounds! Whoever has the most aura by the end of ten minutes will be declared victor if neither combatant reaches the red in time. You are allowed to give up at any point in the match! I wish both of you good luck! The match will begin at the sound of the buzzer!" The announcer finished, starting the clock as it slowly counted down from 10.

Ele stood completely still once the buzzer went off, keeping an eye on Amber as she began to circle him, taking slow steps, looking for an opening in Ele's defenses that he knew wasn't there. Amber slowly made her way around Ele's side, the crowd holding their breath as they waited.

Amber went on the offensive once she was sure she was out of Ele's peripheral vision, charging at him from behind, but keeping her path wide, hoping to throw off the arrogant prick that stood before her. Amber pulled her arm back, confident that she'd gotten the jump on the punk as her arm shot forward, on course to hit Ele in the back of the head.

But all she hit was air as Ele side-stepped at the absolute last moment, letting the girl pass by him harmlessly. Ele didn't hesitate though, grabbing a hold of her outstretched arm, quickly taking a step back to grab hold of her other arm, putting a foot on Amber's back, forcing her onto her knees.

Amber swore as she felt her knees touch dirt. Ele kept up the pressure, pushing her torso forward as he kept a vice like grip on her arms. "This is your ultimatum. Surrender, or be broken." Ele said, hearing the bones in Amber's arms groan under the stress.

Amber attempted to free her arms, jerking her shoulders back and forth. "I am not going to give up in the first round, ass hole." She said, struggling to free her arms, but Ele could already hear the fear in her voices.

"I tried to be nice." Ele gave Amber's left arm a harsh tug, hearing her shoulder pop out. Ele let go of her, Amber falling onto the ground in pain, as Ele took a few steps, positioning himself so that he could face her as he knelt down.

Amber looked up, terror evident in her eyes. "Surrender. Now" Ele commanded, using a light touch of his semblance, to push her over the edge.

"I.. I give up.." Amber slowly stood up, waving at the announcer as she quietly walking towards the tunnel out of the arena, holding her dislocated shoulder with her free hand, leaving the arena to the jeers of the crowd, all aimed at Ele. The match was over almost as quickly as it had begun.

"Well folks, after a short display, Amber has given up barely a minute into the match! A shocking outcome! " Shouted the announcer, barely audible over the insults being thrown at Ele. Sereb just took the lien from Rozene, a small smile on her face.

Ele put Lex and Jussum back in their respective sheaths, obviously taking his time, ignoring the crowd as it got louder and louder with their shouts. Ele put on his coat just as slowly, drawing out as much time as he felt like, 8 minutes still left on the timer.

Eventually Ele finished, looking at the announcer, flicking his wrist, indicating he wanted the mic. Guessing that something interesting would happen, the announcer tossed it down into Ele's waiting hand from the over head platform.

Ele cleared his throat,, the crowd still shouting at him, some demanding his head. _Always some asshole that's fine making death threats in the middle of a crowd.._ Ele thought to himself with a small smirk. Ele brought the mic up to his mouth, speaking softly as he activated his semblance. _The louder they bark, the more they are just trying to prove themselves.._ "I require silence."

The noise diminished, a few people falling prey to Ele's semblance, but most just went with it once they saw a friend or someone instantly close their mouths after Ele's order. It was as quiet as possible in a stadium filled with thousands of people. "Thank you." Ele took the Pactum and Patior out of his pocket, putting them on and admiring them for a brief moment.

Ele eventually broke the silence. "I do not feel like an introduction is needed, nor do I feel like I need a reason to explain my actions in the fight. Amber was pathetically weak, and yet the leader of a team from the illustrious Beacon. It must have lower expectations than I originally believed. I do not wish to sound condescending, but if this is among the best Vale can offer me, I feel like my time has already been wasted."

The crowd rumbled, a couple of people yelling insults at Ele, others telling him to get out of the arena. Ele just smiled. "I'm sorry, did I give any of your permission to speak? No, I do not think so. So, -shut up-" Ele activated his semblance again, the crowd now firmly in his control. _A man is capable of reasonable thought.. a crowd.. not so much._

"Now.. where was I... Oh yes. This is my declaration of war. I do not want to a random women from the masses! I do not care for those as weak, and pathetic enough to let something as small as broken bones get in the way! I want someone with fire! Bring me the proteges! Bring me the criminals! Bring me a true hunter! Someone worth a damn, someone deserving of a Tyrant's Wrath! Bring them so that they may be crushed beneath my heel! This shall be my greatest conquest.. and I will not have it tainted by those undeserving! So come, those who dare! I will show no mercy!"

Ele dropped the mic, slowly turning to walk away as most of the crowd was left stunned, a few select groups chanting "Tyrant! Tyrant!"

* * *

Weiss rewound the video clip, staring intently at her scroll. "How does this riff-riff get away with such arrogance.." She said, playing Ele's match over again, looking for something to work with, but the fight was too short, and there was only so much she could take away from a single move.

"Weiss, you are going to get a headache if you keep staring at that screen. With the amount of attention you are giving this guy, I'd expect you to ask Pyrrha for his number or something." Complained Ruby, looking down at her partner from atop her bunk.

"I would never fall for someone so pig-headed, arrogant and cruel." Weiss turned off her scrolls.

"Yes, it'd be like dating a mirror." Yang smirked, flipping through a magazine next to Blake, who was reading, head on Yang's shoulder.

"I'll ignore that comment for now..." Weiss said, standing up and grabbing Myrtenaster.

"Where are you going?" Ruby asked, a bit concerned for the young heiress.

"Going to do some training. Every little bit helps."

"Want a partner?"

"Thanks Ruby, but not tonight, need a bit of time to think."

"Alright, just don't stay up too late, we still have quite a few fights tomorrow. We need our rest."

"Yes mother." Weiss said with a small smile, getting a smirk from Ruby.

Weiss exited the dorm room, stopping for a moment to stare at JNPR's door. _Should I bother Pyrrha.. no, I think after last time it wouldn't be advisable.._

So Weiss just began to slowly make her way down to the training hall, thinking of the events of the past few days, focusing on the message she had received from her father.

_'Weiss, I am writing this to remind you of your heritage as a Schnee, something you appear to have forgotten in your short time away. I am willing to look past your abysmal performance in initiation, and your inability to be declared leader of your own team. But in the up coming Vytal Festival, your actions will be heavily monitored, and if you do anything that reflects the Schnee name in a negative light will result in discipline at the most appropriate time. I have only allowed you to be a huntress because you promised to be a shiny example that stood out among the rest. Do not disappoint me. K. Schnee'_

Weiss took a deep breath. _What am I going to do.. Pyrrha.. father will understand if I lost to him.. cause.. well.. It's Pyrrha Nikos for Dust sakes.. but this Saphir.. He would kill me for losing in such an undignified manner.. maybe.. maybe I won't fight him? Yes.. that would be best.. hope that Pyrrha takes him out in the next round, then I can stick it out to finals and face off against Pyrrha.. I'm pretty sure I can beat everyone else.. I'm a Schnee after all.._

Opening the door, Weiss could hear the sounds of combat. _Looks like I'm the only one who is nervous.._. She slowly made her way around, not sure why she was being so quiet as she took a peek around the corner, looking out into the training ring. Weiss saw Pyrrha surrounded by four combat drones, breathing heavily as she blocked, dodged, ducked, and counter attacked. Weiss saw the small glow that she knew as Pyrrha's semblance every so often, shifting attacks away that might be dangerous to the side.

Weiss stood by the entrance, losing track of time as Pyrrha calmly fought the mechanical warriors. _It's like she doesn't even need to think to use her semblance.._ She thought, as she finally realized that at most times Pyrrha wasn't even looking at the pieces of steel that were threatening to skewer her alive. Eventually Pyrrha stopped, the attack droids slumping downward into their standard 'off' position.

"It's easy to see why you are called the Invincible Woman.. Sun was a very unlucky man for facing you in the first round.." Weiss said, stepping away for the wall, walking over to the bench where Pyrrha had placed a towel, handing it to the drenched spartan.

"Thank you..." Pyrrha took the towel, quickly drying herself off, grabbing a water bottle for a quick drink. "Yes.. he's a good fighter.. a shame. It would have been interesting to see how far he'd have gone if paired with someone different. Though that's one of the dangers of a tournament.. you never know who you are going to get paired with until the match starts."

"Such as the unlucky girl that your friend Ele trashed today? Didn't even know we had a girl name Amber in the first years.." Weiss said.

"Such as the unlucky girl that had the misfortune of being paired with Ele. Though in his defense, a dislocated shoulder is not the worst he could have done to her." Pyrrha said, dumping a bit of water over her head, attempting to cool herself off.

"Pyrrha.. why do you keep defending him? You saw what he did? If he was so strong that he could beat Amber in one move, why didn't he do it a bit.. gentler? And the speech? I know I'm not the most... humble of individuals.. but even I am not so arrogant is to call an entire kingdom pathetic to their face.." Weiss sat down on the bench, the late night practice forgotten for now.

"I defend him cause I know him. Just as I would defend anyone else from false statements and slander."

"Still doesn't explain why... You love Jaune.. so that isn't the reason.. is it just some sort of honor thing to you?.."

Pyrrha blushed at her feelings for her leader being brought up. "Honor or respect would be the best word, yes... But Weiss, do you really want to know why I don't like people badmouthing Ele?"

"Yes, I would in fact." Weiss said, crossing her arms, not going to leave till she got an answer.

Pyrrha sighed. "You probably don't know this, but Ele's grandfather was a local folk hero in Mistral, a prize fighter and hunter. He taught me a lot of what I know to this day. I was his favourite student.."

"That would explain why Ele is so strong then, his grandfather taught both of you, and both of you turned out to be monsters in a fight." Weiss said, nodding quietly to herself.

"Half right. Gramp'd didn't teach Ele anything. The best way to put it is.. Ele was discouraged from learning to be a huntsman.. I was praised for my semblance once I got it under control. Ele was just feared, cause now he had control over an ability twice as dangerous... Ele fought tooth and nail to get himself into Sanctum from what I heard.. and from that point he was on his own.."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know how much you know bout combat schools, since I assume a Schnee would be taught privately... but in a regular school.. or at least in Mistral, every student is important and is groomed to the best of their abilities. A student can schedule combat training, extra lessons, anything they want really to excel and become stronger."

"I'm guessing Ele took as many lessons as possible then? If his grandfather wouldn't teach him, then he must have made up for quality with quantity."

"Again, half right. He did make up for quality with quantity.. but only cause no one would teach him. He was given the bare minimum amount of teaching the staff could get away with. If he ever tried to sign up for extra lessons the teachers would make an excuse bout how they were busy or already had something scheduled for that time.. until eventually he gave up looking for help.."

"Seems a bit cruel, he would have been just a child.. a proper educator shouldn't have done something like that.."

Pyrrha shrugged a bit. "Coming from someone who called his semblance an abomination only a few days ago, you are one to talk.. the teachers had a similar though.. you'd be surprised how much people fear the loss of control over their own actions.. but yes.. Ele's practices were all solo.. he found some tapes of his grandfathers old prize-fighter matches and studied them.. he obsessed over those tapes until he could perfectly copy every move he'd seen in them.."

Weiss was left a bit speechless. "So.. what happened after that?"

"Ele asked his grandfather for his rings, saying he wanted to prove that he could be as good a hunter as anyone else.. Gramps was not happy with Ele at that time.. He had an old studio where he'd train hunters or police on the weekends, and I was there for a practice session when they had that meeting.. Ele took a lot of hits.." Pyrrha sat down on the bench, a small distance away from Weiss.

"Wait.. what? His own grandfather would beat him up for something as simple as asking for a pair of weapons to train with?!"

Pyrrha nodded. "I can't really explain the relationship those two had, but I remember Gramps parting words to Ele... they were 'You are a monster, and your name will be a stain on the proud traditions of a hunter... I hope the beowolves are hungry next time you go hunting..' That was the last time they spoke a far as I know... seven years or so...and the look on Ele's face when he saw me, standing outside, waiting for Gramps to come back out so I could learn the new shield blocks I was looking forward to...Just.. the amount of absolute hate behind them as he looked at me, blood pouring out of his lips and his face all bruised... It didn't look human.."

Weiss put a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, seeing her shake a bit in fear at the memory. "It was like.. staring down a Deathstalker... but.. nothing happened. Ele just bowed politely, quietly wished me good luck on my training then walked away.."

"What happened after that?"

"Nothing really.. we didn't talk at school.. Ele stuck mostly with Sereb, and vice versa.. we didn't really interact again till the Mistral tournaments... by that time we'd both grown.. I'd learned a lot from Gramps, and Ele had taught himself just as much.. Rest of the story you know.. I won the next four years, Ele being my only consistent competition for the title.. and each time he lost, he would get closer and closer.. just.. refining his technique on how to win.."

"Yes, but there is no way he could touch you with a weapon, so you are more than safe."

"Indeed.. but he always finds a way.. I didn't train to keep up my current strength.. back then I trained to keep myself ahead of him.. it was a pride thing back then.. I was the Invincible Woman.. I wasn't going to lose.. now it's time for the fifth round.. and I will still probably fight him again.. this time though.. I honestly don't know what the results will be.."

"Pyrrha, you realize you have a major habit of selling yourself short in many respects, right? You are the Invincible Woman. You will not lose to anyone, and everyone knows that. So chin up. After all this is a great chance to show off in front of Jaune.." Weiss grinned, looking at the radiant blush on the Spartan's face.

"Thanks Weiss.. and just a warning.. what I said bout you being Ele's ideal target still stands.. I'm not saying this to be arrogant.. just.. giving a friend a tip.. The best way for you to approach him and start the match in your favour is surprise him with a glyph under his feet. You do not have the striking power needed to cut through Patior and Pactum's defences, so go for surprise attacks..."

"Thank you Pyrrha.. I will take that advice to heart.. and here is a bit of advice as a trade-off. Be as blunt as possible with Vomit Boy, he only takes a hard 'no' for an answer, so tell him your feelings explicitly, and I'm sure things will pick up from there..'

Pyrrha stuttered for a moment, while Weiss watched with a small smirk. _Funny how the bravest warrior can face death or battle with a smile on her face, but affections scare her nearly to tears.._ Weiss thought.

"I.. thanks.. I was beginning to think that maybe I wasn't giving him enough hints and well.. asking Yang for advice would be.."

"Disastrous and most assuredly end with you in an embarrassing situation."

"Yes.. and one last thing Weiss.. you will only have one chance.. Ele's greatest weapon isn't his semblance, his aura, weapons or any of that. His best tool is his experience and ability to learn from mistakes.. so after you launch the surprise attack, you need to be careful, cause it's not going to work again."

"I'll keep that in mind.. now come on.. It was late when I got here, and we've probably been here a while.. let's get some sleep.. I got a tournament to agonize over, and you got a dense imbecile to seduce."

"Not seducing him.. just.. well.. trying to get his attention.. he hits on every girl but me.."

"There there..Just do as I said, and you'll be fine. There is this nice place with Vacuon food where you could take him, Ruby loved it when we went.." Weiss said as the pair gathered their gear, heading back to their dorms, relaxing to the calming silence of the halls as they quietly chatted.


	26. Resurrection of the Warpath

"Shame that Rozene got taken out in the second round.. could have sworn he'd have gone farther.." Sereb said, poking at her salad, the sun hanging high in the sky.

"Luck is a big part of any tournament. You can effectively change who finishes when by changing who you are placed against.. Pyrrha and I could have fought in first round, allowing me to effectively win the tournament from the start, but hey, things happen." Ele responded, taking a quick drink of his soda.

"How you on time?"

"I'm the first match of the third round, north coliseum... I got a few minutes to enjoy talking to you.. and Sereb.. I have something important to tell you" Ele lent forward, staring deeply into Sereb's eyes.

Sereb blushed. _No way.._ "Do tell Ele, I'm all ears for you.."

"Well.. it might be embarrassing.. for the both of us.. but seeing you fight lately.. it's just... got me thinking..."

_No way, no way, no way.. this is way too out of place. Ele has a touch for the dramatic, if by some ungodly force he was going to confess to me, he wouldn't do it in the middle of a food court.._"What is it?" Sereb barely managed to hide her excitement, hoping she was wrong.

"Just.. your one liners-" Ele got interrupted by a plastic fork being thrown at his face.

"Dick! What about them!?" Sereb shouted, pissed off that he'd led her on. _Well.. maybe.. I might have.. no.. no, his fault. Be mad at him._

Ele smirked. "Sorry.. just.. had to ask. The one liners? Really? The blender one was okay, but 'two best friends' line was a bit cliché.."

Sereb leaned onto the table, hiding her tomato red face, her voice muffled. "Shut up... just shut up.."

Ele chuckled. "Alright, I had my fun. But in all seriousness, you are doing great... I had a feeling you were holding back in the spars. When we get back to Aegis, we are sparring. I want to face you at full strength." He grinned, finishing his drink as he saw Sereb's wolf ears poke up, obviously paying close attention to his words.

Sereb kept her head down, lifting her arm a bit to peak at Ele. "Mean it?"

"I do."

"Still a jerk for making fun of me like that... I should make you wait.."

"I'll apologize.. you doing anything tonight?"

"Fa Lian heard of this club from some guys that tried hitting on her and Alcee.. we might be going out for a girls night.. why?"

"If you had prior plans, it's fine. Was just going to ask if you wanted to join me for dinner tonight. Since Phriz and Jin seem to have made it their mission to avoid me through the entire festival, I thought I might as well take advantage of the opportunity and enjoy a good meal. I've heard the pasta is divine at this one place." Ele cleaned up the small mess their lunch had made, piling everything onto a tray.

"I'd love to! I mean.. of course, I'd be happy to join you." Sereb smiled, ears perked up, as she sat straight again. _This is a good chance, dinner with him, alone.. perfect.._ "What time?"

"I was hoping to be there by 7, so leave by.. 6:30ish and we should be good. The name of the place is Genove's. It will be nice to eat something good.."

"Cafeteria food isn't -that- bad."

"No, but it just get's repetitive. I can only eat curry rice, pizza or pot roast so many times.."

"Could always include some fruit in that diet there...I wonder how people would react that the oh so feared Tyrant hates the smell of banana's to such an extreme, that he'll gag if they are too close." Sereb smirked.

"Shut it Sugar Tooth. Man is a carnivore. Meat is the most important part of a person's diet.. Dairy a close second, and Veggies a reasonable third. My diet is perfectly healthy for my occupation.. and I can substitute fruits for large amounts of salad.." Ele said defensively.

"Sounds like someone is just trying to defend poor eating habits.. I know you'll eat apples and raspberries, so why not include more of those? Or grapes?"

"Grapes don't count for obvious reasons, as for apples. Too much work for such a little reward."

"What do you mean?! You just bite into the stupid thing!"

"Yes.. but I will not eat an apple whole.. just.. not worth it.. cut into quarters with the core removed.."

"What are you.. six?"

"Seventeen... and don't make me remind you of those Raspberry Ultra Sugar Sticks.. Sugar Tooth.."

"One time! I do it one time and you never let me live it down!"

"What friends are for, reminding you of your embarrassing past, as well as adding sarcastic commentary, and generally just being mean. What's that phrase... 'Friendship is just blackmail with consent'? Sounds bout right." Ele grinned.

"Extortionist.."

"Been called worse. Today alone. By more people in fact.. It's a shame really.. I swear the tournament administrators keep setting me against young, fragile looking women.. random chance my left nut.. First round was against a local favourite or something, I honestly don't know. Second round I'm up against this hyper thing from Vacuo, who apparently the crowd loved yesterday.. exploding axes... what a stupid weapon.. now I am set to fight -another- damn student from Beacon but this time it's worse!"

"I am so disappointed the newspaper isn't here.. hearing how the Tyrant is lamenting on being paired against cute girls for easy wins.. you are two for two on surrenders.. Don't complain too much." Sereb grinned, knowing Ele was getting driven up the wall by the opponent's he was being matched with.

"Oh come on... I'm cruel but not this cruel... I think they are trying to guilt trip the audience into hating me. Sure.. let's throw this skinny little rabbit faunus against the Tyrant.. cause what can go wrong there.. I can already hear them cheering her name, the under dog against the monster..."

"It always amazes me how quickly you can flip that switch from normal guy to stone cold killer.."

"Lots of practice.."

"I'd guess so.. poor thing.. what's the name of the girl anyways?"

"Satin or Cotton.. no.. dust.. Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina. Mage type. Covers for lack of strength with speed, agility and hyper awareness. Basically a glass cannon from what I've gathered. I stop her movement, I take her out easy. She'd be a good support member, raining hellfire and damnation down on Grimm while her team acts as distractions, but I don't think she's cut out for solo just yet. Much too fragile."

"Ah. Going to go easy on her?"

"Don't know.. depends on her reactions.. I can't figure out if she's got a backbone of steel or silk.. I'll figure things out. I might have to go on the offensive.. dust.. I should just be glad I'm seen as an egomaniac with a god complex instead of a psychopath."

Sereb giggled. "Please, a god complex would be selling yourself short."

"The moment I start screaming from the rooftops that 'I shall be the one to surpass god', just shoot me. I'd rather not give the masses the pleasure of being right."

"Will do Boss Man" Sereb saluted, getting a groan from Ele.

"Everyone and that dust damned nickname.." Ele checked his watch. "Looks like it's time for me to go.." He said, standing up. "Don't forget, be ready by 6:30 and good luck with your match, Sugar Tooth."

"Thanks, Ele. Don't be to mean to the poor girl, or I'll have to ditch you out of faunus solidarity." Sereb smiled as Ele turned waving her threat away, muttering bout his current situation.

Sereb watched as Ele walked away, her eyes drawn to his back. _Did he always have such broad shoulders..Ele.. I wish you luck.. I know how much all this means to you...But please.. don't try to do everything by yourself.._

* * *

Ele took his place on the starting mark. _Steel or silk.. please be silk... please be silk.._Ele raised his head, looking into Velvet's eyes, a quick glimpse telling him all he needed to know. _Steel.. I am sorry Sereb._ Ele put his hands in his pockets, watching the countdown start. _My word is law, my will absolute.. I can not falter here._

* * *

She had to be carried out.


	27. Side Story: With a Cherry on Top?

_Dust.. she's annoying... can't she find someone else to bother... _Ele grumbled as he attempted to figure out the work sheet set before him. His progress hampered by the silver-haired faunus, sitting beside him. _It's been a week.. can't she find some other friends.._

Sereb shifted in her seat, attempting to get closer to Ele. "Um.. Ele.. what'd you.. get for number 7?... I don't really understand the question..." She brought a hand up to scratch behind her ear nervously, not used to having someone to talk to.

_I must have been especially cruel to puppies in a previous life time.._ Ele groaned to himself as he turn to his side, leaning over to explain for the third time today how long division and multiplication works. Ele forced on a small smile as he patiently explained the mathematical process, as we as a few tricks to make remembering easier.

Once first period had ended, Ele couldn't tell if his smile was fake or not after hearing the shy, hint of a giggle escape from the wolf faunus. He didn't want to admit how long it's been since someone laughed with him, instead of at him.

* * *

_Another day, another dreadful lunch... _Ele gave his peanut butter and jam sandwich a glare that'd scare away Grimm. _I keep telling her I hate raspberry.. so what does she always pack... raspberry.. fine mom, you want to play dirty... I can not eat lunch for a few weeks.. wonder if we have chips. _He'd had no issues with raspberry a few months ago, before he'd first activated his semblance, but now all it did was bring up bad memories and make his stomach sick with the terrible taste it left in his mouth.

Setting the untouched sandwich back down in the paper bag, Ele sighed. _Keep it together Ele.. it could always be worse.. least you are out of the house.._ His thoughts got interrupted by the sounds of a chair being dragged to his desk. He wasn't exactly surprised to see Sereb setting her chair down next to his desk. In the short amount of time he'd been at Sanctum, the girl was following him around like a lost puppy.

_Well.. she is basically the only faunus in this class.. and I did unlock her aura.. why'd I do that anyways? What a stupid thing that was.. should have let a teacher deal with it.. but no... had to try to prove the old fart wrong.. be the good guy instead of.._ Ele was quiet as Sereb sat down, giving that same smile she always gave him. Small, and nervous. Nervous bout what, Ele couldn't really place.. all the teachers knew bout his semblance and were giving him a wide berth, not wanting to test their luck.

"Um... Ele.. are you... not hungry?" Sereb asked, seeing Ele sitting with his arms crossed, leaned back against his chair. _This is the third day in a row.._ She thought, looking him over before blushing and turning back to her lunch.

"No, call it a hunger strike.. I am not eating that dust forsaken gunk... it's gross.." Ele groaned, as he slumped forward, staring at the paper bag, the harbinger of his lunchtime horror. _Whatever sick jerk invented the raspberry can go get eaten by a beowolf.. the jerkface.._

"Ah.. well.. I see?" Sereb tilted her head to the side, confused. "Um... do you want to .. um.. trade?.. I have ham and cheese... would that be okay?"

Ele peaked his head up to look at the crimson eyes of the wolf faunus. _Great.. now she's pitying me... this is pathetic.. _"I'm fine.. thanks.." Ele put his head back down against his desk, letting the rest of the lunch pass by in awkward silence between the two.

* * *

_Two dust forsaken weeks...has it only been two weeks... dust.. just let me hit something already.. this sitting around is boring... duuust. I know all this theory junk..I should probably be in the third or fourth year instead of this baby stuff.._Ele grumbled to himself as he threw his coat on, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

After a quick double-check, making sure he had the waste of time called homework, Ele finally left the room, giving the instructor a dirty look for making him stay late for 'language and lack of a proper attitude'. _Not my fault all these -actual- hunters are scared shitless.. I didn't ask for this stupid semblance..._

Eventually making his way into the humid air of Mistral, Ele released a bit of frustration by giving the nearest stone a swift kick. Imagining the rock as a variety of heads had an oddly pleasant effect on the boys mood, until he heard a high-pitched yelp. _Course someone gets hit by the stupid thing.._

Ele raised his head, planning on just apologizing and leaving so he didn't have to deal with anything, he was hungry since he skipped lunch out of protest for those blast sandwich with the cursed raspberry gunk and was now running late for his substitute snack. He was a bit surprised to see that the offended party was a group of six girls, most of them from his class, but what caught his eye was the silver ears that poked out of the group, and the expression on their owner's face. A mix of terror and relief.

A blonde a few inches taller than him stepped forward, smiling as if she just won the lottery. "Ele! Just in time! We have a present for you!" The blonde whose name Ele couldn't be bothered to remember, motioned to the rest of the girls. It was an interesting assortment, aside from Sereb, he would have guessed they were all related from that silly blonde hair and 'Pleasure to meet you' smiles that were plastered onto their faces.

"Not my birthday, not interested." Ele tried to walk past, only to be blocked by another of the girls, still smiling though he was easily a head taller than her, and wasn't in the mood for this. Sighing in defeat, Ele stopped, seeing that the girls weren't going to let him go unless he either let them speak, or got violent. Forced to chose the former out of pride, and not wanting to prove his grandfather right, Ele looked at the five blonde's and a still shaken looking Sereb.

_What's up with her.. aren't these her new friends? And what the hell is with the cliche Barby doll army... Dust, cruelty to puppies indeed..._ On a closer look, Ele noticed a few things wrong with the scene, primarily the state of Sereb's clothing. Nothing serious, but it definitely looked like she'd gotten backed into a corner. So Ele wasn't too surprised by the next few words out of the taller blondes mouth.

"We just had a talk with this freak!" She pointed at Sereb, who shrank away a bit at the name, and attention, the other girls giving her dirty looks as well. "We noticed that you didn't like her, so we told her so! She won't bug you anymore! Right?" The last part was again directed towards Sereb, who nodded quietly.

"And why did you do this?" He asked flatly, not impressed with the 'generosity', but apparently no one else could tell from his tone, since the blonde continued in an excited tone.

"Well, you are the grandson of Karabos Saphir after all, and I heard you are expected to be one of the greatest hunters this school has ever trained, and that's even without your semblance!" The blonde puffed out her chest, as if everyone should be impressed by her outdated information. It was common knowledge among the teachers at this point, but the students hadn't gotten the memo just yet.

The mention of his stupid semblance caused Ele's eye to twitch, and get dangerously close to resorting to Plan B. "While the intent is barely appreciated, I'm going to have to ask for you to mind your own business and leave my friends alone. If Sereb had been an issue, I could have dealt with her myself.. so I am going to ask politely the -first- time. May you please get out of both mine and Sereb's way? I'm hungry, and want to head home for a snack. All this useless chatter is just making me hungrier.." His eyes cold as ice, Ele stared at the collective of blonde clones.

Apparently only one of them caught the edge in his voice, and moved to the side, while the others looked at him like he'd suddenly grown a third ear. _What a life I lead... I now have ten year old huntresses in training fighting each other for my attention.. Note to self, adopt a puppy or something. Anything to get the universe back in my favor.._

"Hey! We were just trying to help. It's not like you really want to be this animal's friend, right? Who would, she's a faunus. We just didn't want her to get her hopes up and think she could actually be your friend." The leader blonde complained, crossing her arms over her chest as she stared back at Ele, the rest of the group following suit.

_I guess this is the dust crystal that broke the Ursa's back.. _Ele activated his semblance, feeling the usual rush of power as his eyes began to glow in a pale blue light. Either the girls didn't notice, or they were too stupid to react to the shining eyes of doom like most people, cause they stood their ground for the five seconds it took Ele to compose himself enough as to not actually hurt them.

"Shut up." His words were met with closed mouths and stunned faces. "Take a step back.." The five blondes all took a single step back, leaving room for Sereb to get out of the cluster, going straight behind Ele, one hand clinging to his jacket like it was all that held the world together for her.

The glow in Ele's eyes got more noticeable as he kept his semblance activated. "Now, I want an apology from each of you for Sereb..." Ele noticed the girls grow quiet on their own as they started to look scared, not expecting.. whatever it is that was going on.

Ele had to increase the pressure of his semblance to actually get each apology out, but it seemed to go easier once he got the tall blonde to admit fault. _File that away for later... hm.. I wonder.._ Ele took a step back to examine the group of girls, who if they had any free range of their movement would either be running or cowering in fear.

"One last thing, then you can go... you will forget what happened in our little meeting today.. and you will not bug Sereb with anymore of this jealousy crap.. in fact.. just stay away from me in general... needing to bully a girl to get a bit of attention... scum.." Ele spat onto the ground as he finished, making sure to use what little aura he had left to make sure these commands stuck in the future.

The group nodded weakly as their eyes seemed to reflect the glow in Ele's before they stared at the ground. "Good, now.. piss off.. I got other things to do.."

_Well, there goes any chance I had of making friends... where's the confetti when you need it most..._ Ele thought to himself as he watched the girls run away. Finally turning around to check on Sereb, he expected to see her shaking in her running shoes as well...

What he got was a look that mixed admiration, gratefulness and respect in such large quantities Ele had to make sure that he was the only other person around and he hadn't missed some passing parade of Remnant's greatest hunters. After a quick check, Ele turned back to those await crimson eyes. "Um...?"

"Follow me!" Sereb said in a rare burst of confidence as she dragged Ele along the streets of Mistral.

* * *

_A diner.. alright? _Ele looked over the restaurant he'd been kidnapped to. It was clean enough, smelled nice, and the people seemed friendly. He began to gently massage his wrists, giving Sereb another glance over. _Surprisingly strong for being so tiny.._

"So... why am I here?" Ele finally asked, seeing that Sereb was getting lost in the menu, and needed some guidance back to what was going on.

Sereb blinked and blushed. "Ah.. well.. it's a thank you gift.. you.. well.. said you were hungry.. and well.. you helped me back there..." She didn't look up from her menu. "And you called me a friend..." She finished, her lips hidden, and voice so low that Ele wasn't aware she'd said anything.

"Um.. thank you? For what?... If anything I'm more surprised you didn't go running off after seeing my semblance.." Sereb's reaction had completely confused Ele, since she was the first person to greet his semblance with something other than disgust or fear.

"That's your semblance?! That's so cool! With the glowing eyes and cool sounding voice.. that's awesome...You got yours so early.." Sereb said, jumping out of her seat to bring her face barely an inch away from Ele's before shying away in a shade of pink.

Another surprised blink later, Ele began to explain why his semblance was anything but awesome. This started a small argument that was interrupted every so often by the serving staff bringing them their food. Eventually the talk of semblance faded into other things, school, movies or whatever they could think of.

The pair had blown through nearly half a dozen milkshakes each as the kept talking until the sun started to set. Eventually they decided they both needed to get home before their parents started to worry. _Or Sereb's anyways.. whether they'd worry for me.. I don't know.._ Ele paid for the food with what allowance money he had saved up after they got the bill.

He'd decided to stay a bit longer, waving at Sereb as she left, both with a small smile on their faces. _It's a nice smile.. It'd be nice to have a friend..._ Ele thought to himself as he finished the last milkshake he'd gotten, not remembering what flavor it was, but he found it rather sweet for some reason.. kind of like the little faunus girl.. _A very cute smile.. Ele.. you got to be strong.. a smile like that is worth protecting._

Finally finished, Ele stood up, putting the lien on the table next to the now empty glass as he picked up his backpack, throwing it over his shoulder before he adjusted his grey beanie over his dark black hair. _Ya.. a smile like that is worth being strong for.._

* * *

Azi looked at the cluttered table before her with a small smile. It was days like today that reminded her why her job could be enjoyable. Hearing the pair of kids talk for hours at a time, bout nothing but still sharing everything they could. Customers like them were always a treat, cause they gave the place a little buzz. _Now your just getting sentimental old girl... oh hush.. we aren't a day past fifty.._

She cracked a small smirk over her lightly wrinkled features as she cleared away the mass of glasses the kids had left behind. _Cute kids.. must have really liked raspberries too.._ "Earl?" Azi called out to her husband in the kitchen.

Getting a small grunt from the burly man scraping off the grill, Azi chuckled as she continued to call out in the now closed diner. "Kids these days! You try to treat them and they refuse. The ungrateful brats! Ah well.. kids'll be kids.. and it's always nice to see a bit of young love... wonder when that useless son of ours is going to have grand kids!"

"Hah! Give it time m'dear. What was that phrase your mother always spouted off... love is like wine? It's best aged? Speaking of time, hurry up with the dishes. At this rate we may miss the show!" Earl called back, in a voice like thunder clouds.

"Yes dear~" Azi shook her head as she finished up. _Boys'll be boys and I picked the one with a taste for musical theatre.. _Azi's smile didn't falter. She didn't really care for the shows, but she loved spending time with Earl. He was right after all, time together brings people closer, and she had to admit, the pair of kids were cute together.

**AN: Another side story, cause why the heck not? Focusing a bit more on how Ele and Sereb got along at the beginning. Hope you all enjoy~ But yes, for the next couple days, it'll be a chapter or two per day. So yay? But in other news, still looking for someone to do proof reading so, that's a thing. Send me a pm if interested~ Have a good day everyone, and leave a comment or review if you feel like it. They are always welcome :)**


	28. Various Shades of Red for Various Reason

Sereb kept a close eye on Ele, knowing he wasn't in the best mood, even though he did his best to hide it. _You got to do better than that.. I've known you too long to be fooled.._ "Alcee fought Pyrrha today, I'm not sure if you saw the match." She threw out the small conversation.

"Didn't get the chance to. Though I'm guessing since the river isn't running red with blood, or the sun setting in the east, Pyrrha is still in the tournament." Ele said, looking at the line in front of him as they waited for their table, happy to have made a reservation.

"Yes, Alcee gave her a run for her money though. Almost got her into the orange. Pyrrha said she was impressed, and told Alcee that she hope they fight again since she has talent." Sereb played with a silver and sapphire earring, looking at Ele who had changed out of his combat gear, standing in a fresh pair of slacks, shoes, black tie stamped with his sigil and a dark blue dress shirt, with his jacket folded over his arm. _And the beanie.. always wearing the beanie.._ Sereb smirked.

"Always the graceful winner that one." Ele said, not really paying attention.

_Yes.. sarcasm.. definitely in a bad mood.._ "Hey Ele.." Sereb said, speaking a bit lower than before.

Ele turned around, noticing the difference in tone. "Hm? Yes?"

"Thank you for taking me out to dinner." Sereb gave Ele a small smile, taking his hand into hers.

This seemed to kick him out of his funk at least for now. "Not a problem.. think of it as a reward." Ele kept his eyes on Sereb's face. _I'm going to kill Fa Lian one of these days.. all these revealing dresses..._Sereb was wearing a slim, low-cut black dress without sleeves, showing a little too much skin for Ele's comfort. _Though she does look amazing.. I still didn't think she had such lovely che- Bad Ele. You are gentleman._ Ele took a small breath, to get his thoughts back in order.

"Reward? For what?" Sereb asked, confused as to what Ele was talking bout, not noticing where his gaze was wandering before snapping back to her face.

"For your first time joining me in a tournament. I never thought I'd actually get the shy, little Sugar Tooth into the middle of a crowded stadium, watching as the crowd would cheer her name.."

"Hush you.. now I'm getting embarrassed." Sereb turned away from Ele before a waiter came up to them, saying that their table was now clear, apologizing for the wait.

The two followed the waiter to their table, Sereb taking a moment to admire the decor. _Lots of satin, dim lighting, and professionally dressed waiters..I hope I'm not burning a hole into Ele's wallet.._They arrived at the table, the waiter setting the menu's on the table, saying their server will be with them shortly as Ele pulled out a chair for Sereb.

"Thank you. For a ruthless Tyrant, you do have your moments as a gentlemen." Sereb smirked, tucking her dress under herself as she sat down, feeling Ele gently push her a bit closer to the table, before he sat down across from her. She took a quick look at the empty table next to theirs. _Guess we weren't the only one to book reservations._

"In my experience, I've found that while threats of absolute destruction work in most cases. Using them in what is supposed to be an enjoyable dinner scenario rarely has an effect I would call... desirable." Ele said, looking over the menu for something to drink. "And short reminder. We are still underage Sugar Tooth, so no boozing up."

"I was more concerned for you. But let's see.. what would be good.."Sereb did a quick check of the menu, something catching her eye. _Well this works._

"So, guess that brings my personality up to egomaniac with a god complex, and a raging alcoholic as well? Can't wait for the day they add kitten drowning to the list.." Ele frowned, not able to find anything good.

"Now now. I'm sorry. I was joking." Sereb poked Ele's leg under the table with her foot.

Ele chuckled. "Sorry just.. the tournament stress is finally starting to catch up to me. Well, I think I know what I want."

As if on cue, a server appeared, introducing himself as Thomas, enquiring about their beverages. Sereb ordered a raspberry lemonade, while Ele ordered a glass of milk. Thomas left after asking if they needed time to decide upon what they wished to eat.

Sereb grinned at Ele. "Milk.. really.. You come to a fancy place like this, and you drink milk?"

"Didn't feel like tea, and for some dust forsaken reason, they don't have soft drinks here.. and as I've already stated, I can't get a cocktail of sorts, so I went with a fall back.. and don't diss milk. Great source of nutrients, and the base ingredient for many a great food."

Sereb giggled. _Always so defensive. _"I'll keep that in mind." Sereb brought her eyes back down to the menu, looking for something to eat. _Is it a good thing or a bad thing that they don't put the prices next to the meal.._

Ele smiled, dinner going better than he'd expected, always happy to just spend time with Sereb, he'd look up from the menu every so often, just to get a small peak at the silver-haired faunus. _The jewelry is nice and I like what they did to her ears.. but Phriz may be a bit heavy-handed with the whole sapphires and silver thing... or I'm reading way too much into it.. either way Ele, stop worrying bout it, it's a rare night out with Sereb so might as well... oh for dusts sake.._

* * *

Sereb looked up from her menu, finally having decided, to be greeted with a stone faced Ele, staring past her. _If Phriz and Rozene came here to crash this.. I will kill them.. scratch that.. they'll wish I killed them._ Sereb turned slightly in her seat.

For a moment all Sereb saw out of the corner of her eye was a blonde boy, with blue eyes, scrawny, in an outfit similar in style, but different in colour to Ele's. _Okay.. who's the blonde and why is Ele suddenly on edge?.._

Sereb's questions was answered in the next few seconds as she heard a familiar voice. "Jaune, sit down, you might get in people's way." The boy sat down, revealing an athletic red-head with emerald-green eyes, sitting at the table next to them. _Well dust..._

Sereb had to stop for a moment for a moment to look over Pyrrha's dress. A work of blazing red and gold that set off her hair perfectly, it was much more modest than Sereb's own dress, instead emphasizing her impressive figure and what Sereb knew as natural good looks.

Pyrrha blinked, not having noticed Sereb or Ele earlier, the sight of them being what caused Jaune to stand around in the first place. For a moment there was a heavy silence, as Jaune took his seat across from Pyrrha, looking like he'd walked into the lion's den.

The silence hung in the air, Ele not willing to make the first move, and Sereb unsure of what to say, not having been particularly close to Pyrrha when they went to Sanctum.

Oddly enough it was Jaune who spoke first. "Um.. hi Ele, a pleasant surprise to see you again. How have you been?"

"I have been well, thank you. How has your training been going?" Ele closed his menu, voice level and controlled.

_Well.. there goes tonight.._ Sereb thought, setting down her menu with a hint of defeat.

"Ah, it's been going great. Pyrrha has been a lot of help. I was honestly surprised at the sheer amount of stuff that could be taught for something as simple as sword play. We recently started with a bit of Mistral style techniques and exercises." A large grin appearing on his face, his self-confidence at an all time high having made it to the fourth round of the tournament so far.

"Good to hear it. And I don't wish to be rude, so Jaune, this is my teammate and partner Sereb. Sereb, this is Jaune. Leader of Team Juniper. Jaune was partnered with Pyrrha." Ele got the greetings out-of-the-way as he leaned back in his chair.

"Hello Jaune, it's nice to meet you. And Pyrrha, always nice to see an old classmate. How have you been?" Sereb smiled at the duo, wishing they hadn't shown up. _This was supposed to be my time with Ele! Now she's ruined it!_ Little did she know that Pyrrha was having similar thoughts, but hers were directed towards the cruelty of fate instead of a specific person.

"I've been excellent. Beacon has treated me well so far, and my last couple years in Mistral were enjoyable. How was Atlas? It must have been hard moving with only a year left." Pyrrha said, taking a quick peak at her menu for a drink before turning back to Sereb.

So the awkward conversation continued, centred mostly around Pyrrha and Sereb catching up while Ele sat quietly in his chair, Jaune regularly asking a question or cracking a joke, actually lightening up the atmosphere significantly before everyone ordered their food.

"How has the tournament been for you so far Sereb? If I remember you beat Cardin out in the first round?" Jaune asked, as Thomas walked away with the groups menu's, off to get their food ready.

"Cardin.. the guy with the mace? I think so.. Don't remind me.. I'm still regretting that one liner.. cause now I feel like I need to end each match with one.. and it's terrible.. Aside from that, this is my first actual tournament. I didn't join Ele four years ago cause I didn't think I was good enough.."

Jaune chuckled. "Really? I honestly think they aren't bad. A bit cheesy, but that's what makes them cool."

Pyrrha nodded. "One of the fun things bout tournaments is playing for the crowd, doing things that are a bit silly for the sake of a show."

"Yes, Ele told me bout that. Though honestly I'm more concerned with winning at this point.. I'll start worrying bout playing up the crowd once I get to yours or Ele's level.." Sereb said, a bit shy at the sudden attention.

"How about you, Ele? I heard your speech on the first day, I do hope you found someone worth your time." Jaune said, elbow resting lightly on his table, looking at Ele who was taking a small drink of milk.

"I wish, it's been par for the course.. I've had three surrenders so far.. I'm hoping that my opponents tomorrow will be worth fighting... aside from that it's been nothing but pathetic weaklings.." Ele set his glass down on the table, seeing the look Pyrrha gave him. "Have I offended you Nikos?"

"Yes.. I just wish you could use a different term when describing those you face.. A bit of respect goes a long way." Pyrrha met Ele's eyes, staring right back, not hiding the challenge in her gaze.

"Respect goes to those that earn it. And I have yet to meet anyone deserving in my stay in Vale. This is not the same thing as the unreasonable subjugation of the faunus. This is my own personal respect. I am free to give it, and take it back as I wish. So those I consider unworthy of my respect, will be treated as such." Ele stated, an edge to his voice.

"Easy? I would not call your latest victory an easy victory. Those that know you would say you put an extra amount of effort into this one. If only for the sake of theatrics. Some would call it cruel." Pyrrha shot back.

"Hold up a moment Pyrrha, what are you talking about?" Jaune asked, Sereb kept quiet this time, waiting in case she needed to stop a fight, already seeing where this was going.

"Jaune.. you remember what happened to Velvet in her fight today?" Pyrrha said, hoping that would be enough.

"Well yes.. some jackass basically made her a chew toy... I stopped by to check on her before we came here.. why?" Jaune wasn't able to connect the dots just yet, causing Pyrrha to sigh.

"Velvet was matched against Ele today... He gave her those injuries." Pyrrha cut to the chase, not wanting to drag this out.

Ele took another drink of milk, doing a quick check of his odds at killing Pyrrha where she sat. _Maybe then I can get some peace and quiet with Sereb.._ Ele sighed internally, the night rapidly becoming a disaster before his very eyes. _I hate dating.._

Jaune turned to Ele. "Is this true?" He asked, knowing Pyrrha wouldn't lie to him, but still had to check.

"Yes. Ms. Velvets injuries were my doing. If I remember correctly, it's mostly fractured bones. She fainted out of exhaustion more than anything else. I think the worst bit of damage was the cracked rip. She's alive, and will recover in a week, so I fail to see why you are mad. This is a tournament, where people fight. Injuries happen, and if anything it'll make her stronger." Ele's voice was flat, as if he was describing the weather in a boring conversation, getting a rather shocked expression from Jaune, and an irritated one from Pyrrha.

"That's not the point! What if that happened to one of your friends? I understand injuries but.. when we saw her, it's like you fought with the intentions of causing her pain." Jaune said, trying to keep his temper in check.

"It was the most effective way to draw a surrender out from her. Your friend Velvet had backbone to say the least. I do wish there had been a better way to deal with it, but it's been done. There is no point in dwelling on it. It's an injury of the flesh, and I took care to make sure the damage isn't permanent."

"Oh, so you'd be fine if I broke Sereb's arms? Would just call that a flesh wound? Say it will heal? What bout her spirit? It took a lot of courage for her to sign up, and you basically ground all that confidence to dust!"

"I'd kill you, simple as that." Ele finished the glass of milk, his voice ice-cold, and harsh.

"Jaune, you ever wonder why I can do the things I do? It's for the same reason Pyrrha can be such a 'nice' person. It's because she has the strength to back everything she says. So shut the fuck up, and stop being naïve. Your friend will get better. Count your blessings that I am on a date, or I would have broken some of your bones for threatening Sereb. And to remind you that hollow threats and lectures are exactly that. Hollow." Ele punctuated his sentence by setting his glass down on the table with a dull thud.

Sereb felt a bit ashamed at the small rush of joy she felt at Ele calling tonight a 'date'. _It was going so well too.. is one night out with Ele in peace too much to ask for.._

Once the food had arrived, dinner passed in silence, no one else willing to speak after Ele's contribution. Time passed, until both groups were waiting for the check. Pyrrha and Sereb slipped away to the bathroom as the boys looked through their wallets to pay the bill.

_Well, the one tiny speck of silver lining in the cloud is that the meal was less than I expected..Yippee.. Shame I forgot the confetti._ Ele thought, having finished reprimanding himself for acting like a cruel monster in front of Sereb. Ele closed his bill, pushing it away from himself as he heard Jaune talking to himself.

"Damn, damn.. I'm an idiot..I knew I should have brought more.. great first date there Jauny boy... didn't bring enough to cover the meal.." Jaune mumbled to himself, before he saw movement from Ele, seeing a hand outstretched towards him.

"How much?" Ele asked, bring his hand back, his voice softened up now that Pyrrha had disappeared from sight for now.

Jaune blinked. "I can't take money from you to pay for my-"

"Jaune. Shut up. How much do you need?" Ele interrupted.

"50 lien.. why are you doing this? I'm Pyrrha's um... partner and you hate her.. and I'm guessing you aren't too fond of me right now either." Jaune had to ask.

Ele reached into his wallet, pulling out 70 lien, before handing it to Jaune. "Simple. A man that can't even pay for his first date with a woman is scum."

"Oh.." Jaune took the money, not really having any other choice.

"And someone who doesn't lend a hand to someone in need is worse than scum. Take this as advice for next time. Always be sure to have a thousand lien on you whenever you go out for a date."

"Wait, what. Why that much?!"

"You never know what might come up, and better to have too much money on you, than too little."

"What if you get mugged?"

"Don't get mugged. You are a man Jaune, and a hunter. Not a boy any more. You don't need to be the pinnacle of physical fitness, with a moustache envied by all. Don't get pushed around, do what you think is right and never falter from your path... or you may never get back on it." Ele stood up, seeing Sereb waiting for him near the exit.

"And Jaune. Give Pyrrha a message for me. Tell her that the next time we meet, I will destroy her." Ele grabbed his coat, tossing it over his shoulders, walking away before Jaune could get another word in. Ele was far past the point of caring bout being polite.

* * *

"So, I'm thinking next time we try to hang out, let's just skip all the effort and go watch something depressing and soul crushing. Cutting out the middle man, would safe us some time." Sereb said, walking next to Ele as he kept a slow pace, not seeming to be in much of a rush.

"I don't know. I like a bit of build up before the stomping. I still can't believe we ran into them..." Ele said, straightening his beanie so his sigil was facing forward.

"Fate works in cruel and mysterious ways I am told... though I will admit.. it was nice to see Pyrrha.. other things aside.." Sereb quietly muttered the last part.

"Mmm, I'm glad you two had a chance to catch up. Just because I am not fond of Pyrrha means you need to dislike her as well. It's good to have a reason to hate someone, not hate them just cause you were told to, Sugar Tooth."

"Wise words.. what fortune cookie you get that one from?" Sereb grinned, before covering her shoulders with her hands, the night chill finally starting to catch up with her. _Why do I keep letting Fa Lian talk me into these freezing cold dresses.._

_Oh.. now I remember.. _Sereb felt Ele place his jacket on her shoulders, blushing as he took a step in front of her, so that he can fix the buttons closed. "If you get a cold cause of this, I am sorry.." She said, enjoying the embrace of the fabric.

"I'll manage. Anyways, I don't know who I'm up against tomorrow, but given the track record so far, it'll probably be me scraping away the last remains of the ones who made it through the tournament with sheer luck... Though with my luck I'm probably going to be facing off against another young, semi attractive female who has won the hearts of the audience.. then again.. and again.." Ele said as they continued, the sun finally having set, but people still swarmed about, the festival in full swing.

"Well I hope you get someone who isn't just a pretty face. I hate to see you bored. Who knows, we might even get paired up next round, what would you do then?" Sereb teased, before noticing the look on Ele's face.

Ele slowed his pace even further, as he looked at the ground in thought. Sereb swore she could hear gears turning, and smell a bit of smoke as Ele processed the question. Ele let out a sigh as he finally stopped walking, Sereb standing next to him, waiting patiently. Ele's eyes began to clear up a bit, until Sereb saw a hint of a smile work it's way up to his face.

"Sereb, I know what I said back in Aegis... but I'll be honest, the thought of actually fighting you slipped my mind at the time.. but seeing you recently.. and even back at Atlas.. It would be an honor to meet you in the arena, finally fighting someone I respect, regardless of the outcome." Ele said, giving Sereb a small smile.

"...Thanks.." Sereb said quietly, taking a step closer to Ele as they continued their walk, gently resting her head against his arm after she got enough confidence to hold his hand. After that, they walked in silence, but Sereb was content with that, still trying to get rid of her blush.

_He wants to fight me.. he sees me as an equal... Did I pack a different dress? Should I ask Fa Lia.. no, don't get ahead of yourself.. get a few things ready, then ask him.. but still.. 'fight someone I respect'_ Sereb had to struggle through the whole walk to contain her excitement at the single compliment, making herself a promise that she wouldn't lose to anyone in this tournament, and that she would give her damnedest against him.


	29. Two Steps Forward, One Step Back

_Why! Won't! You! Stay Still! _Jin screamed in his own head as he was forced back even further by the rapid assault that threatened to overwhelm him. Jin ducked his head, having to cower behind his massive shield to avoid getting strangled by that cursed ribbon.

Jin was not one to easily anger. Everyone knew that. He was a guy that basically everyone got along with, mostly cause he just stayed in the background. But now he was mad. _This is basically two against one! How am I supposed to deal with this!_

Jin gave a mighty swing of his axe at the shadowy form beyond his shield, causing it to retreat for barely a breath before continuing the assault. But that momentary respite was all Jin needed as he twirled his axe, Aiuto, in his hands, shifting it's form into a sub machine gun. The moment the weapon was finished shifting, Jin gave a desperate squeeze of the trigger, sending a storm of bullets at the predator advancing on him.

For all of Jin's struggles, the form kept moving forward, getting closer and closer. It would dodge to the side, jump, duck or feint, as he aimed wildly, always finding the right distraction to mess up his aim.

Jin saw the form disappear from his sight briefly. _It was a clone! Sh- _Jin threw his weight behind him, barely blocking a long, black blade before it could do any serious damage. Jin looked into the amber eyes of the monster he faced, seeing the evil grin of a cat with a mouse in it's paw before fading out of sight again.

Jin felt the blade strike him, feeling his aura save him from any physical damage. _Save that done to my pride.._ Jin thought as his match was declared over. "Blake Belladonna wins! After this nail biter of a fight, she finally manages to land a finishing blow against that iron wall! A splendid performance from you both."

Jin sighed as he turned around, seeing a small smirk on the cat faunus, as she offered her hand, hoping there would be no hard feelings. Jin shook it, giving a large smile. It'd been a fun fight, and he was alright to losing to someone like Blake. _Only one down side though... Phriz is not going to let me hear the end of this.._

* * *

Fa Lian cleared her throat, cursing her luck as she stared down her opponent, looking into those cold blue eyes, their usual sparkle gone, to be replaced with a dull shine. _Of all people...alright.. well think.. you haven't used every trick you've got.. and Ele's only be fighting defensively to this point..just take it slow and wear him down._

Fa Lian twirled her chain scythe calmly as the announcer rattled on, riling them up. Fa Lian took that small bit of time to compose herself, now starting to understand what Ele had done for the past few days in his matches. _I know it's Ele, and I know he's not as bad as he seems but... just.. I can't get rid of this fear, this sense that I am nothing more than an insect in the way.. just the way his last few matches have ended..._

Fa Lian shuddered, before getting into starting position as the countdown started. _Alright, now or never. Make your team proud._ Ele got into his usual starting posture, hands in his pockets, though he'd at least given Fa Lian the courtesy of holding onto his weapons this time. _Just want one hit, to wipe that smug look off his face._

The clock hit 2, Fa Lian tensed up, waiting for the signal. The clock hit 1, she leaned forward, knowing that charging in close to Ele was her best shot. The clock hit 0, and to Fa Lian's surprise Ele charged as well, the pair meeting in the middle.

In the quick moment where she let surprise take over her, Fa Lian realized she'd forgotten something important. _Stupid! Ele can attack as well! Just cause he's been playing turtle for the past few days doesn't mean he's lost control of his legs!_

Fa Lian gasped as she felt Ele's hand close around her throat as he continued his charge, slamming both of them into the arena wall, taking a large chunk out of Fa Lian's aura. Ele's other hand struck out, hitting her left wrist, letting her beloved Lǐwù drop to the ground.

Ele stood there, holding her at arm's length away from him, pressing her against the wall, staring at her with those cold eyes. Fa Lian tried to kick her way out, aiming for Ele's gut, legs, groin, whatever she could hit, but she knew it was pointless as she felt Ele squeeze, cutting off what little air she was getting.

"Surrender, so another doesn't have to be carried out.. please Fa Lian. You can't win this." Fa Lian was a bit surprised that Ele would offer her a way out. She gave a weak smile, before raising up her free arm, holding it up for Ele and the audience to see clearly. _Cock.. bite.._She flipped him off before she passed out, fading away to a quiet chuckle.

* * *

Sereb checked Zima, peering through the chambers, looking for anything out of place. _Second round of the day... Jin already got knocked out.. by that black haired girl... hm.. stronger than she looks... shame that Jin's semblance doesn't work as well on himself that it does on others.._

Sereb smirked, remembering when Ele sat everyone down near the beginning of the year, forcing a bit of small talk, asking bout their semblance. _Gentle giant till the end it seems.. a healer with hands that can break an Ursa's neck.. And Phriz's semblance, simple yet effective.._

She grinned a bit, another small memory popping up into her head. _"Sorry Ele.. I don't have my semblance yet.." _One of the few times she's ever lied to Ele, waiting for this week. _I can't wait to see his face.. ooh this is going to be so fun!_ Sereb giggled, as she left the waiting room, more than confident in her victory.

_I am not losing to anyone other than him..I made him a promise, and I intend to keep it._

* * *

Jaune landed with a soft thud on his bed, burying his face in his pillow, exhausted. _Ren is scary when he's actually trying.. must have wanted to show off to Nora.._ He smirked, wondering when those two were just going to spit it out. _And people call me oblivious.._

He rolled over, grabbing his scroll of his nightstand to check the time. 2 pm. He and Pyrrha had returned to the dorms to rest once her last match was finished. "Still think we could have stuck around to watch the last few matches. Yang was paired off against Ele, and that would have been a fight to see." He said once the spartan had entered in after him, carrying a couple can's of soda.

"Indeed, it would have, but one of the most important things bout fighting in a tournament is balancing the amount of time you rest, and the time you are actively fighting.. and that Mistral kid.. he was good, had me on the ropes a few times.." Pyrrha set a soda down next to Jaune who gave a quiet thanks. She rolled her shoulder, frowning slightly. _Did I pull something?.._

"Hey Pyrrha.."

"Yes Jaune?"

"Question.. are all people from Mistral just kind of.. stronger? I don't know, just seems with you, Ele, Sereb and a lot of the other contestants, that Mistral doesn't seem to be a place for wimps.. and well.." Jaune asked, his voice trailing off at the end, leaving his last question unasked.

"It's a harsh place Jaune, there is a lot more Grimm than Vale, or Atlas.. so we kind of have to be hardier.. but stronger? I don't think so, we are all still human, as fragile as the next.. we just get a bit more practice with out weapons than most." Pyrrha smiled at Jaune, a bit happy that he was curious bout her homeland. She grimaced a bit as she took a drink. _Yep.. definitely did something.._

Jaune raised an eyebrow, seeing Pyrrha's discomfort. "You alright Pyrrha? I know Kaza Kola isn't the best, but it shouldn't be causing you pain." He grinned a bit, thinking that his partner might need a bit of cheering up.

"Ah, oh, well.. It's nothing really, just a small pain in my shoulder.. must have pulled something in my fight.. It's no big deal.. but thanks for your concern.." Pyrrha blushed at the attention, seeing Jaune's eye's light up.

"Well, if you want.. I can give you a massage or something.. might make you feel better."

"Jaune, I couldn't ask for you to do that."

"Pyrrha, you've been such a tremendous help for me in my time at Beacon.. please, let pay you back just a bit?"

"Ah.. thank you.. that would be nice.."

* * *

_This is so unhelpful! Why can't he be more cooperative!? All he's been shown using is those stupid knives and his fists.. This muscle headed imbecile.. can't even give someone the courtesy of showing off... all this arrogance is a front.. cause I can't gather any useful information from it!_ Weiss screamed in her own head as she played through Ele's tournament matches, having spent the couple hours looking through the fights of other competitors.

"What have we here? Weiss is once again looking at Vale's new bad boy? I didn't take you for a sub, but you caught the love bug hard girl~ Want a few tips from the love doctor?" Yang teased as she entered the dorm, Ruby behind her, still sporting a few bruises from her earlier match today.

"Yang! For the lasttime, you vulgar-!" Weiss blinked, stopping when she noticed Ruby's condition. "What happened to you!"

Ruby groaned a bit as Weiss rushed to her side, looking her over. "Weiss, don't worry. Just wounds from my match. They'll heal. It was actually kind of fun, I was against that Sereb girl, the one with the revolvers, and those cute little wolf ears, well not as cute as Blake's but still cute. And somehow I lost, it was close though, and Crescent Rose performed amazingly, and we had a lot of fun!" She said, watching as Weiss walked into the bathroom, a weird look on her face.

Weiss returned after a few moments of rummaging around, with a small plastic container with green goo inside. "Here, this will help with the wounds. Now tell me what happened."

Ruby sat down on Weiss's bunk, as she opened the container, nose wrinkling slightly at the smell. Yang gave her a gentle hug before leaving, wanting to find Blake so they could go enjoy the festival together.

"So, you sure it was that faunus that always hangs out with Ele?" Weiss asked, remembering her last match of the day. It seemed to have been a gift from fate that she was paired up against that purple haired dunce that had been so rude to her. It hadn't been an easy fight, but she had eventually won by running out the time limit..

"Yes, I'm sure it was here. We even had a nice talk before the fight started in the waiting room... She was happy to be against a friendly face, and wished me luck. It was fun." Ruby smiled, rolling up the sleeves off her combat uniform, to lightly apply the ointment to her arms.

"Then what are the bruises from?"

"Ah, I think she switched ammo types part way through the match, went from G-202, to AP-322, which oddly enough most would consider a downgrade because the trade between-" Ruby began to explain before Weiss put a finger over her lips, wanting to cut out the techno-babble before it got going. Ruby didn't seem like it, but once she began talking bout her beloved weapon and it's component parts, she wouldn't stop for hours.

"Ruby, I get the picture. Just, nothing is broken? You'll be fine?" Weiss asked, a bit of concern bleeding into her voice.

"You worry too much Weiss, I'll be fine."

"Alright.. If you say your fine, I'll be leaving. I need to talk to Oobleck bout the grade on my recent essay. I find it insulting. An 84, why that should have been 90, easy.." Weiss stood up, moving towards the door as Ruby giggled.

"Hey Weiss." Ruby called out quietly, as she lay down, her exhaustion catching up to her.

"Yes?" Weiss turned around, smiling slightly at her partner, as she struggled against sleep. _Bring her some coffee on the way back, I'm sure she'd appreciate it._

"Thanks.."

"Not a problem Ruby.."

**AN- Breather chapter cause why not? Thanks to everyone who's stuck around this long. I love you all~ Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it :)**


	30. Resurrection of the Warpath pt2

Sereb groaned lightly, rolling around in the hotel bed. _So soft.. it's annoying.._ Eventually giving up the battle for sleep, she sat up, scanning the room. _3 am... _With a quiet sigh, she got up, noticing that she wasn't the only one with insomnia._ Must be on the balcony..._

Slowly making her way around her bed, she saw a familiar figure standing outside on the small balcony, looking out over the city below him. Sereb knocked quietly on the glass door, careful as to not wake her fellow teammates.

Sereb didn't wait for a response as she stepped onto the balcony, silently sliding the door closed. She made her way next to Ele, leaning against the railing as she took a view of the city. _So many lights.._Sereb took a moment, to just enjoy the view before looking at Ele.

He was slumped against the balcony wall, chin resting on the cold metal railing. He appeared tired, and wasn't paying too much attention to Sereb.

"Are the pillows too soft for you too?" She asked, eyes wandering over the rooftops of Vale.

"Might be one of the reasons I'm here..." Ele's response was so quiet, Sereb had to strain her wolf ears to hear.

"Want to talk bout it?" Sereb offered, able to see that something was bugging her partner.

"Not really.. got a message my secret weapon arrived.. couldn't fall asleep... just.. usual tournament stuff... can't sleep... just... it'll all be over in two days..." Ele said, his voice a bit louder, but laced with worry.

"Mm.. it's beautiful you know.. Vale.." Sereb didn't force the topic, knowing Ele would talk when he felt like it. _Good to hear _

"I guess.. I prefer Atlas though.."

"Why is that?"

"Just cause. Less people.. less eyes.."

"It's a festival, so there is probably a lot more people than usual... though Vale is a large place.. I wonder how much an apartment costs..." She raised an eyebrow at Ele's comment. _Eyes? Why eyes?_

"400 to 550 lien a month, for a single person place. A few hundred more if you were going to be sharing. But that's not counting the living expenses.."

"And you would know this why?"

"I almost went to Beacon.. and didn't feel like living in the dorms. Was going to get an apartment and commute if possible.."

"Wait, you almost went to Beacon? What's that mean?" Sereb blinked. It made sense, Ele wasn't a no named hunter. Beacon turning him down would have been the anomaly.

"Aegis sent me the better offer. Atlas is farther away from Mistral, no more Pyrrha.. and well.. already had someone in Atlas... so it seemed like the better deal.." Ele tucked his chin in, resting his forehead against the metal railing, as he hid his face for some reason.

Sereb blushed a bit. "Ah.. well.. Its.. um.." She stumbled with her words, not quite sure what to say.

"I saw you fights today... You've gotten strong Sereb..." _In more ways that you probably realize.._

"Thanks.." _He probably has no idea how much that means to me.._

"Ele.. you honestly think we'll get a chance to fight in the tournament?" Sereb asked, uncertainty tainting her voice as she started to think of what might go wrong now that she'd finally gotten this far.

Ele stood up straight, stretching out his back, as he turned to face Sereb. "Sereb, you've trained as hard, if not harder than everyone here. I know we'll be fighting..." Taking the small step needed, Ele stood in front of Sereb, gently petting her head.

"Now come on, you need to get some sleep. It's almost the quarter-finals, everyone you face tomorrow isn't going to be a push over... and if you do face Pyrrha, don't hold back." Ele smirked a bit, as he took his hand away, looking at the pouting faunus.

"Fine.. but you need to get some sleep too, all this show boating must be taking its toll on you.." Sereb said, standing her ground for now.

Ele chuckled quietly. "Fine.. I'll join you in a minute..just.. need one last breath of fresh air Sugar Tooth.." He smiled weakly, hoping that Sereb would understand.

Sereb nodded understandingly. "Alright.. but if you aren't in bed in the next ten minutes.. I'll.. wake up Jin and get him to drag you to sleep." She teased, knowing that Jin was harder to wake up than Ele when he felt like it.

"Don't worry Sugar Tooth, I'll join you shortly." Ele shook his head. _She really has grown, went from hanging off my every word to teasing me right back. _He smiled as Sereb nodded, silently making her way inside.

Ele slowly took out his scroll, opening up the contacts list till he found the desired name. He typed away a short message, looking over the city of Vale one last time. After a moment's hesitation, Ele pressed the send button, knowing that there was no going back at this point.

* * *

Weiss stared down her opponent, growing infuriated at the lack of care he was showing as they stood waiting for the match to start. The announcer waking the crowd up for what was to be the most interesting match in this round.

"Who shall be victorious!? The Tyrant?! A man of little more than his own name and vast power?! Called a monster made from human flesh! Or the Schnee heiress!? Next in line for control over the greatest economic powerhouse Remnant has ever seen! Educated since birth to be the model of a huntress!"

_Not since birth.. ignorant loud mouth, making exaggerated claims.. but still.. focus Weiss.. left foot forward, chin back, and get ready to strike._ Weiss calmly got into position, going through to make sure her stance was perfect.

Ele simply took his hands out of his pockets, brushing his thumb against Patior and Pactum. _Seen her fights.. straight forward.. the glyphs might be a bit of a pain.. does mostly stabbing motions.. Lex and Jussum... no.. I've done enough gloating.. at this point, time to get at least partly serious, she's on the same team as yesterdays blonde.. that one was scary.. people call me a monster, yet I'm pretty sure she could break every bone in my body with ease if she actually hit.. Ele, stop over thinking things. Head back in the game.._ Ele's thumbs poured a bit of aura into his rings, activating them.

Ele rolled his shoulders as the rings grew to a foot in diameter, their edge razor-sharp. Ele dropped the rings to the ground, feeling them tug on the near invisible strings that anchored them to his hands. He chuckled quietly as the countdown started, growing louder and louder, till everyone in the arena could hear them.

He used a bit of aura to enhance his voice, as he cackled, watching Weiss shrink back, confused at his actions. Ele's mad laughter hit it's crescendo as the timer displayed '1'. As the signal to begin was given, Ele brought his arm back, flinging Pactum behind his back.

Weiss used a glyph to rocket herself forward, thoughts racing as she brought Myrtenaster close, ready to run Ele through. Only a moment's hesitation brought on by Ele's wicked grin saved her. Weiss summoned a glyph beneath her feet, flinging her to the side, barely avoiding the razor-sharp chakram that grazed her cheek.

Ele flicked his wrist, catching Pactum in his left, as his right began to spin Patior by the string, kicking up dust around him as the weapon itself moved too quick to be seen. Ele smirked as he started spinning Pactum as well, kicking up another dust cloud.

_Don't let him get the momentum, don't let him get the momentum. _Weiss spun the chamber on Myrtenaster, selecting the red setting before stabbing the ground, lines of fire breaking off from the point of her blade to speed towards Ele. Weiss didn't wait for the attack to connect as she charged again, shifting from fire to ice during her sprint.

Ele jumped over the fire, weapons still spinning in his hands as he ran forward to meet Weiss's brave charge, smiling down at her, as he ducked under the rapier's point, getting in close as his spinning chakrams began to tear into Weiss, bashing away at her aura.

Weiss was forced to retreat, needing to regroup. Ele didn't bother chasing her, he simply stood their, fingers a blur as he worked the strings of his chakrams.

"Ms. Schnee. I will give you the same courtesy I've given all others before you. Surrender now, and leave unharmed, or leave this arena broken."

"Shut up, you arrogant pig. I will not be surrendering to some two-bit gladiator with a superiority complex who hasn't ever won a tournament." Weiss shot back as the dust clouds from Ele's weapons began to fade. _If he wants to play mind games, let's play._

Ele sighed at her response. "Alright then... I guess it was too late anyways.." He took a small step forward, causing Weiss to get a chill down her spine.

_Where did those blasted rin- _Weiss ducked, as something flew over her head, taking a few strands of hair with it, as it passed. The dust clouds hadn't disappeared, they'd only moved, too much farther away from their wielder. Weiss didn't have to look to know there was dust being kicked up behind her.

"Welcome Ms. Schnee, to my domain. My kingdom, where my word is absolute" Ele grinned, as he pulled back on a finger, watching as Weiss frantically worked to avoid being torn to ribbons, blocking what she couldn't dodge, using tons of dust to create ice shields. Ele's hands were a blur, manipulating string and steel to keep Weiss under constant bombardment from all sides, as the chakram's circled her, leaving deep gashes in her shields and the ground surrounding her.

Weiss was rapidly beginning to tired, as she was forced to use her semblance to block the rapid assault, her ice being torn apart as soon as she summoned it. _Just need a moment, one moment and I can turn this around._

Weiss's hopes were answered as Ele brought his hands back, getting ready for the finishing blow. Weiss didn't pause for a moment, putting a glyph under Ele's feet, tossing tossed up into the air, almost splattered against the reinforced glass doom ceiling.

Weiss went to work, rapidly switching settings on Myrtenaster, switching to blue to hold Ele in the air, stopping his movements. Ele lost control over his weapons as they swung aimlessly for a moment before stopping, hanging down below him useless. Weiss jumped up, using her glyphs to speed her up as her blade glowed white. _This hits, I win.._

Weiss grinned as she felt the tip of her blade hit Ele on his left shoulder, then something unexpected happened. She felt the aura fade in an instant, and unable to stop herself at this point, Myrtenaster pierced her opponent's skin, going straight through Ele's flesh, the blade visible through the other side. Weiss's attention was quickly drawn to the rivulets of blood that worked their way down the skinny blade.

Weiss blinked, taking a quick look at the score board. _Green.. why is it green!? Wait, no. How am I hitting his flesh if he's still in the green.._The only answer to Weiss's question was the sound of broken glass as Ele's right arm broke free, grabbing Weiss by the throat.

"A splendid performance Ms. Schnee, your semblance is truly amazing. Your fighting style in general. An answer for everything indeed.. but you forgot one thing. A Tyrant does not bow to petty tricks." Ele grinned a bit as he rolled his left shoulder, squeezing the muscles, as Weiss tried to pull her weapon out.

Weiss looked in fear at the smiling mad man before her, feeling her air slowly getting cut off, before she felt herself falling. She saw the bindings holding Ele in place fade, meaning there was nothing holding them up anymore.

Ele looked down, not liking his positioning in the air. He loosened his grip on Weiss to throw her over his shoulders as his legs hit the ground with a painful thud, taking the majority of the fall damage with his aura. _Wonder if I'll get any thanks for being kind enough to not snap her spine.. probably not_... Ele threw the coughing Weiss off his back, tossing her onto the ground with a groan as he took her weapon out of his shoulder.

He wiped the blood off on his pants, looking over the weapon. _All this technology and craftsmanship... must have been worth a pretty penny.. _Ele's thoughts were interrupted as he barely dodged a high kick to his face.

Weiss had gotten back up, looking ready to fight even without her weapon. _She's got a spine, I'll give her that._ Ele flicked his wrists, bringing his chakrams back into his hands. He brushed his thumb over them, putting them back to their usual form as he took up a simple boxing stance after putting Myrtenaster in a belt loop for safe keeping.

"You cocky piece of..." Weiss growled, her voice a bit harsh. She jumped forward, aiming a flurry of high kicks at Ele's chest.

_Don't get hit by those boots, those are going to hurt._ Ele parried each kick, pushing it to the side with a few quick japs as the pair continued their fight.

The battle went on, Weiss's kicking at Ele, getting increasingly agitated, while Ele simply played defense, grinning, not having to work hard into getting his opponent to make mistakes.

Eventually Ele got bored, having seen through Weiss's attacks as he grabbed her leg after a failed axe kick to his neck. He picked her up with ease, raising her over his head, before slamming her against the ground, getting a pained groan, before tossing her into the nearest wall.

Weiss hit the arena's wall with a groan, struggling to sit up, knowing that she should be scrambling to her feet to continue fighting but she was unable to gather the energy needed.. A quick glance at the screen showed that she was dangerously close to the red, while somehow Ele's was barely touched. _He really is a monster.. _A shadow passed over Weiss, causing her to look forward, seeing Ele standing before her.

Ele knelt before Weiss, staring at her with cold eyes. "Surrender, now" Weiss couldn't help but look at his eyes as they glowed an unnatural blue, as his aura started to leak out into the air, his voice sounding like music to her ears.

Weiss began to raze her hand, almost wanting to surrender on her own accord. _It's no big deal.. it's just a tournament.. father would.. father.. schnee.. I am a Schnee.. I do not surrender...A Schnee doesn't cower.. we are the greatest family in all of Remnant!_

Weiss stopped her hand, clenching it into a fist, she brought her arm back, before throwing it forward with all the force she could muster. "Go.. to.. hell.. you.. arrogant.. pig.." Weiss grinned slightly as she felt her fist connect with Ele's face, enjoying the fact she went out swinging.

Ele took the punch easy, Weiss was near exhaustion, so it wasn't that strong. He simply stood up, sighing to himself. _Why.. why can't they ever take the easy way out..._ Ele gave Weiss a swift kick to her side, chipping away the last bit of aura. He casually tossed her rapier to the ground next to her before turning to leave.

He didn't wait around to listen to the rambling of the announcer, this win having left a sour taste in his mouth, as well as a hole in his shoulder. _Three more fights.. only three more.. I can hold on for that long.._

**AN: You know, one of these days, I'll put something down here that's worth reading. But not today. Well, aside from the fact that relatively speaking, Weiss got off easy, but that's just me. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed the chapter~**


	31. Weakness of the Mind

**AN: Just a small note before we start, well more of a warning really. But anyways, things are going to get.. angst isn't the right word, and I wouldn't go with dark either.. let's go with somber. Somber is a good word. But yes, after this chapter things are going to get a bit more somber.  
**

Sereb was staring down a monster. Not a Beowulf, Deathstalker or Ursa, but a monster of a person. Sereb looked over her partner, smiling a bit as he lay sleeping. Ele had decided to take a nap before the next round of the tournament. _So cute when he's asleep..._

Those who had made it to the quarter-finals were allowed an hour of rest before the next round, but since the sixth round of elimination wasn't over just yet, Sereb had decided to visit her injured teammate. She had gotten a bit lucky in her previous match, getting thrown against a fellow ranged fighter. One who seemed to lack very important experience in a mirror match up. Sereb had no such faults.

Bringing her hand up to play with a stray strand of Ele's midnight black hair. _Why is he like this.. He's obviously got something planned..._Sereb was in no way fooled by Ele's recent actions during the tournaments, a bit confused but not buying what he was selling with ease to everyone else. _He's not cruel. He doesn't enjoy making people suffer, or having to use his semblance too often.. Is he trying to scare Pyrrha into surrendering? He knows that's useless.. so why.._

Sereb's thoughts were interrupted as she heard a scroll go of, a message arriving. She knew the ring tone, it was Ele's. A bit of curiosity took hold of her, wondering who would be sending Ele a message. Especially at this moment. She'd already sent her teammate's a message, telling them to not wait up for lunch since the team leader was out like a rock, the hole in his shoulder healing quickly with a few aura booster shots, and his own scary vitality.

Unable to think of who'd be sending her leader message, she lost the battle against her curiosity

Getting up, she walked over to the side table, picking up the scroll to look it over. Most people would add stickers, or photos to their scrolls, personalize them a bit. But all Ele had was his sigil, and her own stamped onto the sides of the hardware in plain dark blue, and silver.

Suppressing a small blush, she opened the scroll, making a promise to buy him dinner for the invasion of privacy. With a flick of her thumb she saw the message, apparently from someone named Frederick. Sereb took a moment to process what she was reading.

'Ele, listen. I know with it being tournament time and all that you are stressed. I'm just trying to say, we should come back to this once cooler heads prevail. If anything your recent actions have made you more popular than ever. I got my boss breathing down my next to keep you from walking out, so please. Just give me a call once you get the chance so that we can talk this out. P.S. Word on the grapevine is that K. Schnee wasn't very happy with your treatment of his daughter. We are smoothing things out, but try to avoid causing anymore issues with the Schnee's while in Vale. We are already kissing his ass enough as is. P.S.S Maria enjoyed her birthday present, and told me to tell you 'thanks'. Anyways, call me once you get a moment.'

_Frederick.. that's the guy who manages Ele's work with the advertisement firm right.. Ele leaving? What's that about.._Sereb began to lose herself in thoughts, wondering if that's why he was acting so odd.

She was interrupted though by a small cough from behind her. "You know, it's rude to read other peoples mail, Sugar Tooth."

Turning around, Sereb saw Ele still laying on the bed, but his head turned to look up at her. Deep blue, met calm red as they looked into each others eyes. Ele was the first to look away, turning his head to look at the ceiling. "Go ahead, we got time, you got questions. And a long time ago I promised to not hide things from you."

"Seems you had a few issues with that... I don't really mind, everyone is allowed some privacy.. but why are you leaving the ad agency? You've never seemed to have any problems with them before." Sereb sat down gently on the bed, facing Ele as he sighed.

"The lack of a payroll isn't really the point... was going to tell you after our fight so you wouldn't hold back, but this is my last tournament. I'm just done with all this. I kind of want to just.. hunt grimm, enjoy the day, and not have to be called away every so often for pictures, or be pestered by strangers for an autograph.. I'm just.. getting tired of all the looks.."

It was quiet for a moment as the pair sat there, not looking at each other. Sereb knew how much Ele cared bout the tournaments, and his yearly fight with Pyrrha, so it came as a shock that he seemed to just be.. giving up. Taking a bit of time to get her thoughts in order, she finally asked the big question. "Why? It just.. doesn't seem like you to.. run away from this.."

"Sereb, I'm tired is all.. I've had my fun, but now. I just.. want to focus on being a hunter. I want to go out on my terms, not on someone else's. So once I win this tournament, I'm going to announce my retirement.. after all, it's best to get out while your ahead, no?"

Sereb laughed quietly. "Still.. just.. is there anything you want to talk bout? I know it's your choice. I'm just surprised is all... I kind of had this image in my head that well.. You'd be fighting in tournaments even once you become a full hunter. It always seemed like your cup of tea."

It was Ele's turn to chuckle. "Yes, it was.. and I might miss it.. but I got more important issues at hand.. I'm your partner, and leader of team Jasper. I got to look out for your guys first, and just.. obsessing over this stuff won't keep everyone safe." Ele's hand moved up, to gently pat Sereb's head, scratching her behind the ears, like he's done a million times before, but this time she wasn't able to stop her blush.

"Um.. Ele.. you know the big ball at the end of the tournament?.." She asked quietly, enjoying his hand in her hair.

"Yes, I am familiar with it." Ele sat up a bit, looking at Sereb as he continued scratching her.

"Well.. um.. I'm not good with this kind of stuff.. but.. um.." Sereb went a deep red. _Say it, just say it. Spit it out now, you can do this Sereb. You've made it this far, you can ask him out on an actual date for dust's sakes! _"Do.. you.. um.. well, are you going to go?" She managed to force out, having to avoid Ele's eyes so she didn't flee.

"Yes... I was? Actually it's a good thing that you brought this up, cause I was intending to ask you something as well. But I have a feeling you have more to say, so just.. take a breath and calm down." Ele smiled at Sereb reassuringly, moving his hand from her head, to her shoulder as he waited, trying to calm her down.

"Ah.. okay.. well." Sereb felt her heart calm itself, as she worked up the courage to look directly at Ele. "I was wondering.. if well.. you wanted.. would you accompany me to the ball.." She took a quick breath, and cut Ele off before he could respond. "Not as a friend!.. I mean.. not as a friend, or teammate.. but as a date.. an actual date.."

Ele blinked, then smiled before pulling a crimson red Sereb into a loose hug. "I'd be happy to. I was wondering when you'd ask." He chuckled, every word out of his mouth a surprise to Sereb, who pushed him away to get a good look at him.

"What?! 'I was wondering when you'd ask.'?! What's that mean!?" an embarrassed faunus nearly shouted as she threw a couple irritated punches into Ele's uninjured shoulder. "So you had feelings as well, and just didn't tell me!? After all the teasing and everything!?"

Ele couldn't contain himself as he laid back laughing at Sereb's reaction, pulling her down on top of him. He took a minute to get it all out of his system, as he looked at Sereb's pouting face, which demanded an answer. "Yes.. I did.. for a long time.. just wanted you to be the first to say it.. didn't want to pressure you after all..." Ele looked away, it being his turn to blush.

"Oh you giant baby.. you know how much sleep I've lost cause I've been worrying bout losing you... speaking of!? Was that date with Alcee, you trying to make me jealous.." Sereb brought her hands up to hold Ele's face still, so she could get a good look at his eyes.

"No, honest. That was just me trying to let her down gently... I didn't think of that possibility till after the evening.. sorry.."

"Jerk.." Sereb smiled, seeing he was being honest. "For making me say it.. um.. punishment..need to think of a punishment.. um.." Sereb laid her head down, taking a moment to realize that she was sprawled on top of Ele, her head on his chest.

"In my defense, I was going to tell you after the tournament... had it all planned out.." Ele chuckled, going back to petting Sereb's head, smiling at the blush that always appeared.

"Really? What were you going to do?"

"First I had to beat Pyrrha.. but I don't think that'd be an impossible task... cause this time, I had more than one reason to win.."

"And if you lost?" Sereb tilted her head up, to look in Ele's eyes.

"I wouldn't. Simple as that."

"Mmm.. we'll see... are you going to use that?"

Another chuckle escaped Ele. "Such confidence in me.. and yes, I will be.. I hope not to. But I won't lose."

"I have confidence in you.. I would follow you to the ends of remnant and back if you asked me to.. Just.. you don't have the best track record with Pyrrha.."

"I know.. but this time.. I won't lose. I'm promising you now, I won't lose to Pyrrha, or anyone... no matter what happens.."

"Yes.. and you never break a promise.." Sereb wrapped her arms around Ele, pulling herself closer to him.

"No, not to you. But once I beat Pyrrha, I would have demanded the mic, and in front of the entirety of Vale, asked you out."

"And you said you didn't want to pressure me.."

"I don't, I just enjoy a bit of the dramatic... I'd thought you'd appreciate the touch." Ele grinned down at Sereb, who only blushed as a responds. "My point exactly."

"Shut up..."

"Alright..." Ele brought his hands up, to wrap around Sereb's waist as he stared at the ceiling.

Sereb was too comfortable to move, her head against Ele's chest, and their arms around each other, so she simply stayed where she was, not planning on leaving until she absolutely had to.

**An: You know, one of these days I'll find a cover for this story. Will probably be the day I learn how to write proper romance. But, hey. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. :)**


	32. Talking to a Deadman

Mistral, one day before the beginning of the Vytal Festival

"You know, you look better as a headstone. All I remember hearing at the funeral was 'He looks so peaceful', 'It's like he's sleeping' or 'He aged well, such a shame he died so young.'. You'll be happy, or vexed. I don't really care which that I didn't point out that 84 is not young." Ele said, sitting down in front of his grandfather's grave, a plastic bag next to him.

It was a simple granite headstone, with a short engraving. '_Karabos M'khai Saphir. An inspiration to all of us. May he find peace in the next life.'_ Ele chuckled. "All, that's rather generous.. most at best.. Sereb gives her regards by the way.. she even shed a few tears for you... Your one saving grace. You were good to her. You are probably wondering why I'm here. I didn't bother to say good-bye to that bleached raisin you called a corpse, so why am I talking to a bit of earth?"

Ele reached into his pocket, grabbing the small box of chalk candy, tilting the box towards the grave. "Want one? Didn't think so." Ele took a stick, putting it in his mouth, before closing the box, tossing it into the plastic bag.

"As for why I'm here, after all these years of our mutual hatred. I've come to call you a bastard and rub it in your face that you won't ever get the chance to see yourself proven right. I know I wouldn't get the chance to laugh at you when I'm through proving you wrong, but this is an acceptable middle ground." Ele rolled the chalk candy around in his mouth, grinding it against his teeth.

"Your funeral was a joke by the way. Well, I shouldn't have to tell you, you were there. In spirit at least." Ele chuckled, knowing the joke was terrible, but he was too happy to care.

"Not really a joke anyone noticed, but I did. Remember that time when a lot of your old battle buddies were dropping like flies, and you were basically going to a funeral every other week. Was before my semblance manifested myself, think I was six, maybe seven. Back when our usual greeting was a hug, instead of knives at each others throats."

Ele sighed, bring up the memory. "But I do remember, quite clearly, you saying, 'Not speaking ill of the dead is stupid. If they were an ass-hole in life, how does them croaking change that fact? It doesn't, so I'll speak bout Gerett as I'll damn well please.' You always had a way with words, you old crack pot. Usually swears."

"But yes, all I heard in your funeral was so much sugar-coating, I could feel myself getting cavities just by standing around. Your students talked bout all the things you taught them. Friends talked bout all the good times you had together. Fuck, Dad even talked bout how great of a parent you were, and made up some bullshit bout how you loved me. Dust, the looks on the faces of people who knew the truth.." Ele took a hand up, snapping the candy in half with his mouth, swallowing the smaller piece before putting the large back in, to be ground to dust by his teeth.

"Hah... they even forgot to send you off properly.. gave you a funeral for a wealthy old merchant, instead of one for a warrior.."

"I was left wondering whether they'd forgotten your sainthood by the end of it. But now I really am getting off track.. your package.. a nice little letter, as well as a few pictures of Granny. You'll happy to know I kept the letter. Though I did burn every picture that had you in the frame. A few survived, gave those to dad since I don't remember grandmother."

"But your letter. You really know how to be a jackass from beyond the grave... first you give me this bullshit challenge for something I already earned from you..now.. this... I'll admit, it was kind of you to think of me in your last few hours, taking the time and effort to call me things normally reserved to a Grimm that slaughtered your best friend. But hey, fuck you too I guess." Ele reached into the plastic bag, pulling out a small stack of papers, covered in hand-written scrawl.

Ele placed the papers on the ground in front of him, stacking a rock on top of them so the wind wouldn't blow them away. "Though I am giving them back, I left some notes on the back, mostly pointing out factual inaccuracies and the like."

Ele stood up, stretching. "You'll also be happy to know me and Pyrrha are going to go at it again this year. Not in a regional tournament. Vytal Festival. The big show. I'll be sure to send you a copy of the fight, including the part where I finally beat her. Oh, I can just imagine how you'd feel, watching your greatest work. Pyrrha 'Holier than fucking tho' Nikos being brought low by the monstrous little me. Your highlight of your career against your most hated creation."

Ele finished the chalk candy, spitting the last piece onto the old man's grave. "I'm sure the press will eat it up, giving nothing but sympathy for the shame of losing to me. Like I'm so fifth rate wannabe. But that's people, and that's why I hate them.. but sadly, I need to be going, the airship won't wait for just little old me, so might as well pay my last respects."

Ele bent down, reaching into the bag to pull out a black crystal bottle, with an aged label. "Ah.. Mistrallian Scotch. Your favorite. Dad's favorite. I'll admit, it was kind of you to leave him this. Aged to perfection. I'm going to be in quite a bit of trouble once he notices that it's gone, but fuck him. Why waste good liquor on him?"

Ele uncorked the bottle, taking a small whiff of the smell. "Mmm, not my preferred choice, but a fellow can still appreciate a work of art. Now since you are dead, I don't really think you'll get the full experience, but alas. We all need to compromise somewhere."

"So cheers! Ching ching! May you suffer eternally in hell you old bastard, and everyone who ever loved you one day look back and think 'You know.. he was kind of a shit head.' So a toast, To a life of misery you wallowed in, and your hatred of a grandson that only wanted your approval. Cheers!" Ele put his lips to the bottle, taking a deep swig, before stopping.

Ele coughed, his throat burning a bit. "This is terrible. Guess it's an acquired taste.. ah well..." Ele poured out the remainder of the bottle onto his grandfather's grave, making sure to give the papers a good coating.

Once the bottle was empty, Ele gently tossed it onto the grave, seeing the glass shatter. He reached into the plastic bag one last time, picking out a small, red box. He tossed the bag onto the grave as well as he opened the little box. Ele pulled out a match, looking at the gravestone.

"You know.. I read all of the letter.. I found the parts you tried to erase.. it was hard to read... but I managed it... I just, want to know, why? Why everything?! Years! I've gone years! Knowing that I would never get your approval! The beatings I took! The things I've done! So what gives you the right to write something like that to me! After everything you've done! All you've said!"

Ele sat back down, not trusting himself to stay upright. "You know what the worst part is.. I won't ever know if you meant it, or if this was one last twist of the knife.. I just can't.. why, why couldn't you just swear at me to your dying breath.. call me an abomination, tell me I'll never be worth the title of Huntsman..."

His head in his hands, a few tears broke out of Ele. But he just sat there, letting himself calm down, taking a few deep breaths. "I.. won't stop you know.. I'm not going to lose to you.. I've gone too far.. I am not weak enough to give in and allow myself to lose.. so call me monster all you want.. I will wear that title with pride.. a monster that fights monsters.. I'll keep fighting you.. and one day, when we are sitting across from each other in hell... I'll be proud to say, I'm here by my choice, not by my birth.." Ele wiped away his tears, looking at the match in his hands.

Ele struck up the match, being careful to shelter it from the wind as he knelt down, watching as the paper started to catch fire, until the embers hit alcohol, igniting in a blaze. "For walking the path of conquest you have been blessed with immortality. Through pain, you kept your oath. Through blood spilled, your debt has been payed. And through death, I release you of your burden. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. May you rest in eternal peace."

* * *

_Boring, boring, not interested... read it already, know that's a lie.. hm.._Ele thought as he flipped through a magazine he'd grabbed before boarding the airship to Vale. Eventually he gave up, deciding that was 5 lien down the drain. _Why is it that every time I board these things I end up sleeping.. I need to find more books.._

Ele leaned back in his chair, pulling his beanie over his eyes as sleep slowly crept up on him. Today's events had worn him out, finally able to release his pent-up stress into the world.

As he faded into unconsciousness, a small memory brought itself forward, of a child unwrapping a gift one day, finding only a familiar bit of grey cloth. But the boy wasn't disappointed, in fact he was ecstatic. The boy had ran over once he saw his present, giving the old man a delighted hug. It was the last time the old man ever gave the child a warm smile back.


	33. Volatility of the Soul

Sereb sat down in the stands, looking at the empty arena as the mass of people shuffled around, some attempting to find a seat for the upcoming quarter-finals, while others attempted to leave, wanting to get back to the festivities outside. She and Ele had gotten a message from the tournament administrators regarding the next round. The pair had separated with a more than a hint or reluctance, as Ele had the first match of the round, and needed to pick something up in preparation.

A large grin appeared on her face, more than excited to watch this next match. _Finally going to see that in action... _Sereb giggled quietly to herself before she was interrupted by someone calling out to her.

"Heeeello Sugar Tooth~"

Turning her head, Sereb was a bit surprised to see the group of girls that she'd met earlier this week. The blonde was waving at her with a giant smirk as they moved closer. Sereb waved back a bit, not sure what else to do as the group of four made it's way next to her.

The group took the seats to either side of her, till she was sandwiched in-between Ruby and Yang. "Um.. hi? Yang was it?... Can you please not call me Sugar Tooth.." Sereb said, as she tried to avoid the death glare coming from Weiss.

"Why's that? Will Ele get jealous of me stealing his precious little puppy?" Yang teased.

"No. Ele is the only one allowed to call me that. Simple as that.." Sereb said, with enough steel in her voice to get Yang to back off.

"Alright, alright. We are all friends here.. well aside from Snow Angel, she wants another chance to get up close and personal to your Boss Man, if you know what I mea-"

"Yang, shut up! That arrogant pig... Joke all you want, but next time I see him, he'll be the one on the ground, with Myrtenaster at his throat... why are you laughing!?" Weiss shouted at Sereb, who was holding her stomach as she tried to stop herself from falling out of her seat with laughter.

Sereb eventually calmed herself down, wiping away a few tear before she saw the looks on the four girls faces. Blushing a bit, she had to ask. "What? It was funny.."

"Funny... what's so funny?!"

Sereb had to hold down another laugh as Weiss started to shout again. "What's funny is that you think you have a chance against Ele.. Ms. Schnee, with all due respect. Your fighting style is simple and predictable. Against the Grimm? That's fine, you'll probably tear through a horde of beowolves with the best of them, but in a match against someone with two working brain cells? Especially Ele, who's been training to be a tournament fighter since he could walk... From what I've seen of their matches, Yang and Blake are much more adapt to this kind of fighting. Ruby lacks a bit of experience against a human opponent, but she'll grow into it. The fact that you managed to wound Ele isn't a surprise, that's just how he fights."

"What.. how-?!" Ruby put a hand over Weiss's mouth and started to talk quietly to her, trying to calm her down as the other three continued the conversation.

"How he fights? I was wondering that. He was impaled through the shoulder, but his aura levels were barely scratched. It was an interesting tactic, would you mind explaining?" Blake asked Sereb, eyebrow raised.

Sereb shrugged. "It's not really a secret. Knowing how to manipulate and control your aura is a basic skill for any hunter."

"Still doesn't explain why he got shafted by our dear Snow Angel." Yang played with a strand of hair, a bit curious.

"Alright.. might as well start from the beginning.. aura as all of you are aware is a shield that protects us, it is the manifestation of our soul. It is used to both heal and prevent wounds. Every hunter and huntress that want to stand a chance against the Grimm use aura to bolster themselves. After all, you'd be hard pressed to survive a hit from an Ursa without aura."

The four girls nod slowly, all of this being old news.

"But that is against the Grimm. Against a human, the chance of an instant kill attack is much lower, unless you are facing someone who specializes in doing as much damage as possible in one strike... that Nora girl comes to mind. Her weapon is a heavy hitter. Ms. Schnee's is not. Her's is a piercing weapon. It's designed to take out vital organs, or do damage to a specific area.. so long Ms. Weiss wasn't aiming to kill Ele, he didn't have to use his aura to block. One or two cuts and bruises is nothing to the pain that Ele can fight through..."

Blake blinked at the implications. "Wait, so long as it wasn't lethal, he wouldn't have blocked?"

Sereb nodded. "Ele's fighting style is more... offensive.. than most. He'll dodge whatever he can, and only use aura for defense if it's a life or death choice.. against man or Grimm... I just.. Ele hasn't gotten a chance to show how he normally fights.. He hasn't needed to anyways..Ele's style is more along the lines of a.. berserker.. than anything else.."

"Sounds dangerous.." Ruby said, now that Weiss was more or less calmed down.

"It is. But it's his choice. I can't force him to change it, nor would he be Ele if he fought any other way.. I just hope he finds what he's looking for in this tournament..."

"Any idea what he's looking for Silver? I'm guessing it's not love and the cheers of the crowd from how he's been acting." Yang asked, seeing the depressed look that crossed Sereb's face.

"I guess in a way he's looking for himself, he wants to find out if he's strong enough by himself, not as a copy of others.."

"A copy? Didn't take that dolt for a plagiarist."

"He isn't.. Ele just.. he doesn't have his own style.. I've known Ele for more than seven years.. which may not be the longest time, but I know him better than anyone else.. and he thinks of himself as imperfect copy.. He started by trying to copy his grandfather... a man that was well liked.. Ele learned how to fight with his weapons.. he learned how to use the rings and eventually made a pair of knives that matched his grandfathers... he became a hunter wanting to be recognized... but still... all he sees in himself is a tainted reflection of a better man.." Sereb sighed, looking down at her hands where Patior and Pactum now sat.

"And I really wish he didn't.. he's better than them.. the people that became hunters because they were told to, because they wanted to feel like warriors, for the honor, the pay or the respect... Ele doesn't want people to like him.. he just wants to be seen as human.. Kind of" Sereb finished with another sigh as she stared out at the empty arena.

"That was a story.."

"Thanks Yang.." Blake said. "So why his obsession with Pyrrha?"

"Ele's jealous.. He's called a Tyrant, a monster while she's praised as the Invincible Warrior... she was his grandfather's favourite, top of the class at Sanctum.. And she's a nice person.. with everything she's got. She didn't turn out into an arrogant gladiator, who lorded their power over others. She is one of the nicest people around, and that's why he hates her.. she's as close to perfect as you can get..." Sereb played with the deep blue rings on her fingers, starting to worry for her partner.

Yang put a hand on Sereb's shoulder, pulling her in close for a hug. "You really care for him, don't you?"

"Yes.. I do.. he's just.. Ele is my best friend.. he's always there for me... We can always talk, can always joke, and always have each others back.. and I just hate to see him tear himself up for something as stupid as other people.. he just.. I don't want to see him hurt so much.. he'll never admit it.. but.. the way people look at him, people he's never met, who've just heard of him.. he hates it.. but he tries to be strong, cause .. he thinks that he can't crack..he can't show weakness... can't let them win.." Sereb relaxed against Yang's shoulder, it almost felt motherly. _Now I'm the one who's losing it.._

"Don't worry.. just be there for them when you need... the fact that you care is enough. Just be there, talk to them if things go wrong.. that's all you can do, and most times, that's all that's needed.." Yang said quietly to Sereb, as the rest stayed quiet, understanding that this wasn't their time to talk.

"I know... it's just.. I just hope I'm strong enough.."

"Now now.. come on.. the match is starting soon.. you want to cheer him on, don't you?" Yang asked, getting a small nod. "That's a girl, come on, it'll be fine.."

Calming down at that point, the group went back to pointless chatter, talking bout weapons, Grimm, school, whatever was on their mind, with Sereb taking part every so often, keeping an eye on the arena, waiting, until finally she got what she wanted.

"Ladies and Gentleman, we will begin the Quarter-finals shortly, so we those in the second, and third match of the set please proceed to the waiting rooms for your matches. I am happy to announce though, that the first match of the quarter-finals is one you have all been waiting for, so I suggest you find your seats, while any are still available. In a few short minutes, it shall be the fifth clash between the Tyrant and the Invincible Warrior." A cheer went up over the crowd as people began to scramble for seats, but the girls didn't really notice and just kept quietly talking.

Sereb didn't bother paying attention to the chatter at this point, she just lent forward. The minutes passed until the lights started to dim, the crowd quieting down, until things were nearly pitch black. With her night vision, Sereb had no issue seeing the shapes of people moving around in the tunnels connecting into the arena. It took her barely a second to find Ele's outline, a small smirk on her face as she noticed what he was carrying on his back.

_Dramatic lighting and everything... Be safe Ele..._

"May I have your attention ladies and gentleman? I am excited to be the one to welcome these two astounding young hunters in training. The four time champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament, heralded as one of the best fighters to come out of Sanctum, she now attends Beacon Academy! The expected victor of this years Vytal Festival tournament and one of the nicest people you will ever meet. A woman many of you already know, but for those who don't. I give you. Pyrrrrha Nikos! The Invincible Woman!"

Pyrrha walked out of the tunnel, spot light following her as she made her way slowly to her starting place. Pyrrha waved as she walked with Milo and Akouo strapped to her back, smiling as the tidal wave of cheers came up to greet her, before the spot light on her faded. The cheers remained for moments after, until people realized the announcer wouldn't continue until it was mostly quiet. It took less than a minute for the crowd to settle down, but the energy in the air could be felt by everyone. This was the show they'd all paid to see, and they wanted it to start.

"The challenger... he has many titles.. The Monster of Mistral, Emperor of Cruelty and King Failure, to name just a few.. The man who has made short work of the various people set before him in this tournament. The man whose path in this tournament has been made from the broken bodies and spirits of his opponent's with an unprecedented four surrenders. This is his fifth attempt at defeating Pyrrha.. will he finally succeed, or will he falter?! Ladies and Gentleman.. I give you... Ele 'The Gem-Eyed Tyrant' Saphir!"

Another spotlight flicked on, showing that Ele was already at his starting place in full regalia. The crowds reaction was mixed between the few cheers at the cloaked figure, while the vast majority either shouted insults or simply booed him. Ele simply stood there, letting the crowd have it's fun, doing his best to tune out the noise.

_He's got it.. he's actually going to use it.. _Sereb thought to herself.

Yang turned to check on Sereb who'd gone strangely quiet, only to see a large smirk on the young faunus's face. She turn to take a closer look at Ele, examining the midnight blue cape that wrapped around him with black fur trim. _A bit showy.. but not enough to be worth that look of confidence on Sereb's face.._Yang raised an eyebrow at the wrought iron crown that sat atop Ele's head, holding down the beanie even tighter. _Not that either.._ Finally Yang saw the short handle that was partially hidden by Ele's hair and the cape.

"Hey Sereb." Yang asked as the rules for the quarter-finals were explained.

"Yes?" Sered didn't take her eyes off Ele when she answered Yang.

"What is that on Ele's back?"

"Simple.. That is the weapon Ele made. It isn't a hand-me-down. It isn't a copy.. it's his weapon. The weapon of a man called monster. The weapon of a warrior crowned tyrant. The weapon worthy of the man I fell for.."

"What's its name?" Ruby asked quietly, as she tried to guess what kind of weapon was hidden under the cloak.

"It's name? It's name is Yasha I Volk." Sereb giggled lightly as she watched Ele's actions.


	34. Strength of the Body

"Ele, good luck to you." Pyrrha said as she got into combat stance, Milo as a javelin in one hand and Akouo in the other, ready for anything. But something was bugging her, some little bit of instinct in the back of her head saying this was not going to be an easy fight by any means. Taking a quick breath, Pyrrha closed her eyes, letting her semblance some scouting. What came back surprised her greatly.

"I see. I thought you were just wearing more weights than usual, but no.. this is a surprise... I do hope you don't disappoint me Ele.." Pyrrha grinned a bit, twirling Milo around in her hand.

"Rather rude of you. The fight hasn't even started yet Nikos, you could at least let me surprise you.. Ah well.. I wasn't planning on a sneak attack with Yasha anyways.." Ele said,undoing the clasps around his throat. The countdown was going to begin any moment, but Ele still spared the time to find Sereb in the crowd, giving her a wink, and a chuckle at the blush he knew was on her face.

Finishing with the clasps, Ele threw the cloak off of his shoulders, watching it float away lazily as the crowd took in the scene before them, the lights growing brighter by the second. He grinned at the relatively stunned silence as people saw Yasha. Ele stood in a simple pair of dark blue jeans, plain black t-shirt and a pair of running shoes as he let the crowd get a good look at his weapon.

"You know Nikos. I used to look up to you. Well your fighting style anyways.. always so controlled. You and my grandfather.. using your weapons like they are a part of your own body.. my grandfather could make the air sing with his rings, you.. you'd dance with your weapons in hand.. truly an amazing sight.. but me.. I could never do that.. I could copy the old man as perfectly as possible.. but the rings would never sing for me... I think with enough training they'd sing for you..." Ele sighed as he put his hand behind his neck, grabbing Yasha's hilt, sliding a finger into the trigger slot before lifting it with ease off his back, before setting the tip of the blade down gently on the arena grounds behind him.

Pyrrha felt a small shiver go down her spine now that she could actually see the monstrosity of metal that was in Ele's hands. The blade was easily six feet long and a foot in width with the end curved back to form a hook shape. The outer edge was dull black metal, easily two inches thick. _For crushing blows.._ She thought, before looking at the inner edge, knowing that Ele had sharpened it with deadly care from the mirror sheen as it rested on the ground.

_That isn't the weapon of a human... it's like a giant beowolf claw... that can't be the weapon of a human.. he's bluffing.. he's got his knives with him.. this is just a bluff.. keep it together Pyrrha.. _She managed to calm herself down, not willing to give Ele the advantage of his semblance. But what really caught her attention was the hilt. It a little longer than two of Ele's hand widths if Pyrrha had to guess, with a small gemstone pommel the colour of fresh blood. There was a trigger just below the blade guard, and that's what scarred her.

Ele grinned as he saw Pyrrha's spirit falter for a moment. A quick look up, showed that the countdown to their match had begun. With only five seconds left, Ele put both hands on the sword hilt, lifting it off the ground, holding the blade behind him with ease. _I didn't do all that weight training for the past two years for nothing..._

Pyrrha noticed the countdown as well, crouching low as all other worries left her thoughts. She had Milo, she had Akouo. She wouldn't lose, the sword is just a bluff after all. _It's just a bluff.. he's probably going to drop the sword and come in for a full on charge for hand to hand combat.. _

Pyrrha took a deep breath as the countdown hit 3. Ele tightened the grip on Yasha as the countdown hit 2. As the countdown hit 1, the world shrank around the both of them, this wasn't practice, this wasn't for fun.

This was a duel between warriors. The roar of the crowd that was deafening before was pushed to the back of their minds as they focused on the person before them. It wasn't a fight to the death, it was worse. It was a matter of pride. Pyrrha would not lose, she had to make her teacher and team proud. She had people counting on her to win.

Ele only one reason to win. A silver-haired faunus with crimson eyes. That was all he needed, his humanity could wait, cause he had a promise to keep.

Finally, the countdown struck zero, and the signal to begin was given. There wasn't a hint of hesitation in Pyrrha's actions. She took off in a sprint, shield raised and spear at her side as she moved at a speed that surprised everyone but those who knew her. She'd made it half way towards Ele's starting position before she saw the mass of steel flying towards her. _Son of a bitch!_ Pyrrha made a desperate jump, barely making her way over Yasha as it sailed with deathly speed through the air before embedding itself in the arena walls behind her.

Ele didn't Pyrrha a second to get her bearings. He was following Yasha as it tore through the air, and as soon as Pyrrha jumped to avoid the blade, she fell into his trap. Ele twisted his body, gathering up as much force as possible into his legs as his spinning kick connected with Pyrrha's chest, sending her flying into the space above his monstrosity of a weapon.

Pyrrha managed to recover before she hit the wall, grabbing Yasha's hilt to stand on top of the blade as Milo shifted

into rifle form, taking a quick potshots at the charging blue blur, which only grazed him. Using the sword as a spring board, Pyrrha jumped out to meet Ele's charge head on, switching Milo back to spear form barely a second before thrusting it forward into Ele's face, knowing he'd have to dodge, or get his brain poked out.

Ele didn't dodge, instead he brought an arm up, feeling the blade cut deep, before flinging it away to leave Pyrrha's sides exposed. He let loose a few quick jabs before Pyrrha could recover, but none of the blows had a solid connection to the Spartan's flesh, but that wasn't the point. He'd gotten past her, and now had a hand on Yasha's pommel.

Pyrrha jumped backwards once she saw where Ele was, wanting to keep her distance as she switched back to her rifle form. She'd gotten the butt of her gun to her shoulder and was about to fire, before Ele made his move.

Ele flexed his arms, feeling the aura inside of him, it's what gave him strength, it's what allowed him to fight like this. He felt the tiny bit of aura go towards his wounds. He could heal the wound then and there, but that'd be harder, taking up too much time and aura, so he just stopped the pain. Ele started to run parallel to the wall, dragging Yasha through the concrete until he'd almost gotten a bit further from Pyrrha. _Distance is irrelevant.._

With a jerk, Yasha was out of the wall and Ele was charging towards Pyrrha, managing to get within ten feet as he barely avoided bullet after bullet before he was at the right distance, Yasha carried behind him. Ele raised Yasha over his shoulder, as jumped into the air. He twisted in the air again, the blade coming from Pyrrha's left at an angle, but with a bit of luck she managed to dodge out his reach.

Pyrrha took a quick breath, until she saw Ele land with a grin on his face. _That can't b-_ She barely had time to turn to her side and block as the flat edge of Yasha barrelled towards Pyrrha's left. _Wait, the sword shouldn't reach this far?!_

Getting flung to the side by the force of Ele's strike, Pyrrha managed to recover in the air again, shield and sword ready for another charge, but Ele just stood there. Taking the quick moment, she looked over Yasha, seeing that it was back to normal size. _Must be the trigger, extends the blade.. simple but deadly if it carries the swings power.. you really are a monster Ele.. able to move with that thing..._

"Nikos. I'm going to give you one chance.. surrender. If you don't, I can not promise if you'll be walking out of this arena without broken bones.. Nikos, we know each other's limits better than most fighters.. you know how my semblance works, and I know yours... you've gotten stronger.. but Yasha is beyond your current limit.. I've sealed your semblance." Ele leaned on Yasha, the tip planted against the ground.

A quick look at the board told her all she needed to know. She was losing, badly. The one hit she'd taken, the one she'd barely managed to block had taken out more than a quarter of her aura. Ele was hovering at a fair distance above hers.

"Didn't you once say 'I don't care what you do with that cowardice you call sympathy, but do, not, patronize me.' I am not going to give up.. I have gotten this far, and I've beat you before.. So, pick up your sword, and fight like a man who Karabos would be proud to call his grandson!"

"Fine.. It's about time that you understood what true defeat means.." Ele got back into the starting position, both hands on Yasha's hilt as the sword was held behind him, level to the ground. "But don't come crying to me when you realize how bitter it is."

* * *

_Gotta keep her in range.._Ele thought as he and Pyrrha danced in the centre of the ring, the sound of steel hitting steel filling the arena. They moved as a blur, Pyrrha using Akuou in desperate attempts to deflect Yasha, while Ele fought through the barrage of spear thrusts as they cut into his body. _Fight through it... my weakness becomes my weapon.. and pain.. my pleasure.._

* * *

_Why won't he go down!? _Pyrrha asked herself in a panic as she ducked to the side, narrowly avoiding Yasha's flat edge as it crashed into the ground, adding another small crater to the pocketed earth. In her haste, she didn't notice Ele land right in front of her, his back to her after using the glass roof as a launching pad for his sword, and himself. She tried to bring Akouo up into a defensive stance, but Ele was already on the move.

Ele turned his body, arms like whip as his elbow slammed into Pyrrha's temple. A small grin spread across his face as he continued the combo, his other hand going behind Pyrrha's neck to stabilize her as his knee buried itself into her stomach.

Using the hand around Pyrrha's neck, Ele took a hold of her collar throwing her over his shoulder into the arena wall with a painful thud. _Don't stop, finish this.. finish it.._ Ele slowly walked forward, grabbing Pyrrha's shoulder to stand her up straight against the wall. He spread his legs, taking a proper stance as he brought his arm back.

Ele's fist shot forward, leaving an imprint of his knuckles in the concrete, directly to the left of Pyrrha's throat. "Weak.. you were his favorite.. the star pupil... but you didn't take his first lesson to heart... in the year since we last fought..you became a hunter, when you should have stayed a warrior.."

Pyrrha stared into Ele's eyes, barely able to keep her eyes open as she spoke quietly. "A fighters... greatest weapon.. is their... own.. body.. those.. a fighter.. who forgets to.. use their.. body.. as a... weapon.. is.. a fighter... who gets.. killed.. huh?" Unable to stand, Pyrrha sank to her knees, seeing the aura levels out of the corner of her eye. Ele was barely above the red, while her own aura levels barely had a sliver remaining.

Ele knelt down to stare back in the Spartan's eyes, his voice low, and filled with barely contained rage.

"Pyrrha, I used to admire you.. you had everything under control.. I'm not like that.. I realized a long time ago.. I am not suited for 'control'.. I do not use a light touch.. I do not ask for opinions, or take suggestions... The title of Tyrant fits me... I rule through brute force. I subjugate through overwhelming might.. Sadly, there is a grain of truth in every story... and in this one it's simple.. tell a lie often enough, with enough conviction and the lie becomes reality."

Ele stood up, looking at his arms and the blood that was beginning to pool around them. It was all his. _I must be looking fucking great at this point... ah well..._ With a sigh, Ele put Yasha back in its straps. Turning to leave, Ele didn't hear any cheering, not that he cared at this point, he'd won, he'd done it. The rest of the tournament would be easy.. he'd finally won..

_Huh.. didn't think I tore the place up that much.._ Ele slowly began to walk towards the tunnel, glancing around the arena at the multitude of cuts and gashes left by Yasha.. _I need to get better with this.. wasted energy with all the landscaping.. dust.. I need a bed.._

**AN: And thus ends the match. I'm happy with how this fight turned out. I could have gone into more detail, but I think I'm better with a more minimalist approach. That's what I think anyways. Now, a small mention to stuff. Normally when I'm writing, I got music playing in the background that can range from country to dubstep depending on what I feel like that day. But this chapter kept me going back to a few songs, specifically~ You're Going Down by Sick Puppies, Kick in the Teeth by Papa Roach and Ultranumb by Blue Stahli. But enough of me rambling. The last few chapters will be up soon, and after that, dunno~ Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, and if you want, drop a review, comment or suggestion~ :)**


	35. At the End of the Path

Sereb watched Ele walk away, seeing the straight back, and held up shoulders of a man trying to prove that he wasn't finished, a man who could continue, fight off a horde at a moments notice. But all she saw was the exhaustion settle over Ele, he looked tired, and like he wanted nothing more than a nice long nap, to escape from the world for a brief moment.

Getting up, Sereb gave team RWBY a short good-bye, before running off, not sure what she'd find.

* * *

He was in the infirmary again, he could tell from the people constantly poking and prodding him, and the voices. All he heard was 'aura bolsters' and 'blood transfusions'. He heard the last one a lot more often than the first. _Maybe.. took it a little too far.. ah well.. sleep.. sleep will help.. it always helps.._Ele stopped fighting to stay awake, letting himself fade into unconsciousness after a quick check of his aura. _I'll be fine.. probably..  
_

* * *

Sereb looked over Ele's face, wondering if he had always looked so fragile. The doctors had said he'd be fine after a couple days of rest. She played with a strand of his hair as always, looking at the time. Four in the morning, but that didn't matter. Ele had responded to treatment well, and he now lay asleep in a hospital bed, thankfully free of any wires or machinery.

Sereb could still remember the look on the doctors face once Ele's condition started to pick up. A look of stunned curiosity at the the hunters will to live and get better. As her mind began to wander, Ele started to come to, groaning slightly as he tried to sit up, eyes still closed.

"Hey now.. lay down. You are in no condition to be moving right now..." Sereb said, standing up out of her chair by his bedside to gently push down on Ele's shoulders, forcing him to lay back down.

"I screwed up didn't I?..."

"Yes.. you did.. aura exhaustion and blood loss... you took too many wounds from your fight.. once you let your aura start to heal, it was.. a little too late... we almost lost you.. I almost lost you.."

"I'm sorry.. I won't do it again.." Ele brought his hand up to gently wipe away the tears that were starting to form in Sereb's eyes, only to have his hand stopped by one of Sereb's. Crimson met deep blue as the two looked into each others eyes.

"Promise me, I want you to promise me. Promise me that you won't do anything stupid like that again... I just.. don't understand.. why.. why must you go so far? Why do you have to care... why do you listen to everyone else but me... ."

"Wha-"

"Don't what me! All you hear are the people who hate you, the people who are scared of you! But you never listen to me! You aren't any of the things they say about you! I know you, you are a kind person.. you always stand up against bullying, you hate having to oppress people and all you want is to be left in peace.. so why.. why do you keep torturing yourself... why..why can't you choose the easy path for once in your life and listen to me..."

"I, just... I can't Sereb... Your right.. I know your right.. but.."

"But what? Your pride is getting in the way?! You think you are too strong to have to listen to other people! You think you are better than everyone!? Is that what you tell yourself, so you can keep going?! You don't have to do it all alone! I'm here for you! After everything that's happened, and the time we've spent together! You still don't trust me enough to help you!? Are you just trying to be strong?!"

"I'm not strong! Do you think I'd be here if I was strong enough to ignore everything?! Do you think I'd be here.. sitting in this bed asking myself if it was all worth it... if what I've worked towards for the past five years has been nothing but a waste.. I just.. can't.. I'm weak.. no matter what I say, I'm just another weak person... A tyrant.. a monster.. in the end.. I'm just a weak man who started to believe the lies he was being told..."

"I gave up.. I just.. gave up.. I won, but I lost... I lost.."

Sereb brought Ele in close, resting his head against her chest as he finally cracked, years of stress, of hate and sadness coming out all at once. Sereb held Ele as he let everything off his chest, how he wanted to fight Pyrrha as an equal, how he wanted his grandfather to be there when he'd finally be able to win. How Ele was so confused by the letters left to him at his grandfather's death, the erased paragraphs that went on bout how proud Karabos was of Ele, how he'd become a true man and how much he loved him.

Sereb didn't notice how long Ele talked, simply holding him close as he cried, gently petting his back until he stopped. She stayed quiet, letting him finish, gather up whatever remained.

Eventually he was done, Ele took his hat off to try to wipe away the tears, once again stopped by Sereb. Reaching over to the stand, she grabbed hold of a few tissues, gently patting away the damp spots around Ele's eyes. Silence persisted until she was finished, tossing the crumbled tissues into a nearby bin.

"Hey.." Sereb said with a small smile, looking into Ele's bloodshot eyes.

"Hey.." Ele responded, looking defeated. He'd finally cracked, and in front of Sereb too. _I just.. dust.. She must think I'm pathetic.._But no matter how hard he looked, the crimson eyes before him didn't hold pity or judgement, only concern. Ele had to wonder the last time he'd seen those kind of eyes.

"Ele.." Sereb leaned forward, pressing her forehead again his, their eyes refusing to leave each other.

"Yes?..."

"How did we meet?"

"I unlocked your aura, bu-." Ele said with a small sigh before being interrupted again.

"But nothing.. what was I to you? A little girl, sitting all by herself while everyone else was enjoying their first day of school. I was nobody, a girl you hadn't even met. But still, you offered me your help.. you have never been a monster to me.. never a tyrant or some bad old demon king.. To me, you are and always will be Ele Saphir. My prince with eyes like gems.. so please.. don't push me away.. I just want to help.. so please..."

"Sereb.. I... just.. fuck... I'm sorry.. for being stupid and making you worry.. It gets so hard at times.. I can ignore cuts.. bruises and scrapes.. but just... the way some people act.. the terror in their eyes... it hurts... it really hurts..."

"I know.. I know.. but hey... I know you aren't any of those things.. so don't listen to anyone else.. other people are stupid.. I'm here for you.."

"Promise?..."

"Promise.."

"Al.. alright.. and.. well.. I'll.. take care of myself better.."

"Good." Sereb moved forward, kissing Ele's cheek gently before leaning back to sit in the waiting chair, hoping the relative darkness would hide her blushing face. "That.. was for winning.."

Ele blinked, surprised. "Um.. thanks.." He laid down, glancing at the time. "Shouldn't you be getting some sleep.. it's nearly six.. still have matches today, I assume?"

Sereb waved her hand dismissively. "I withdrew from the tournament. Making sure you were alright was more important than winning...though now that you mention it.." She fought to hold back a loud yawn, covering her mouth with a hand. "I could do with some sleep, though... and don't blame yourself for me leaving the tournament.. yes, I know how you think.."

Ele chuckled, his train of thought derailed before it could really start. "Whatever you say Sugar Tooth.. but you should really head back to the hotel and get some sleep.." Stretching a bit, Ele picked his hat up off the bed, before putting the grey piece of cloth back on over his head, feeling exposed without it.

Sereb shrugged, and stood up. "The hotel is way too far.. I'm too tired.. move over.. this is your last bit of punishment for doing something as stupid as getting injured.." Ele was pushed to the side of the bed as Sereb lazily climbed up, wrapping her arms around her injured partner.

Ele shifted around in the bed, allowing Sereb to get comfortable after he wrapped his arms around her as well. "Night Sugar Tooth.."

"Night Ele... wake me up with enough time to get ready for the ball.. also.. give the rest of them hell.." Sereb said quietly as she closed her eyes, beginning to drift off.

"Will do.." Ele gently kissed Sereb's forehead before he put his head back down on the pillow, letting himself fade to sleep as well. _Sereb.. you really have grown into a strong person..._

"And Ele..."

"Yes?..."

"I promise.. I'll never leave. As long as I'm here.. I'll protect you..."

"Thanks Sugar Tooth... thanks.."

* * *

Ele rolled his shoulders, feeling the muscles stretch and bones creak. _Nothing too bad.. most of my wounds were superficial.. nothing too deep.. too much blood loss.. will have to remember that.._ He took another look at Sereb as she slept. _She needs the rest.. now.. time to win this without causing her anymore stress.._

_9 am.. I should probably hurry.. who knows how long it'll take to get the doctors to lay off.._ Making sure he had everything, Ele grabbed Yasha from the wall it was leaning against.

* * *

It'd taken him a few minutes, but he had gotten the doctor's off his back. After finally getting permission to leave and continue in the tournament, Ele was informed that they had to change the stadium for the last few matches because of the damage he caused. _Babies.. not my fault the concrete is weak.._

Picking up the whetstone, Ele went back to sharpening Yasha's blade as he sat in the training room waiting. He had only a few minutes till his semi-finals match, and he planned on taking as much of that time to relax and heal as much as possible. The match was against an old classmate from Sanctum, but Ele wasn't expecting much.

_Might as well finish this...  
_


	36. Was it Worth it?

"Are you sure you are alright? I know what the doctor's said you could move around since nothing was broken, but still Pyrrh-"

"Jaune.. I'm fine..Tired but fine.." Pyrrha said, looking up at the blonde as they walked, her head on his shoulder. "I just used a bit too much aura... come on. Blake made it to the finals, and I want to see her fight. Any idea who she is up against?"

Jaune shook his head as they slowly made their way out of the arena's underground care area. "Ruby's message only said Blake made it to the finals. And for you to rest... and something bout cookies. I'm not sure what she meant bout the last part.."

Pyrrha chuckled quietly. "I'm fine.. moving around stimulates aura flow and recovery. I'll just be watching anyways, I've already been removed from the tournament.." Pyrrha smiled, the words felt weird to say but she didn't really mind.

"If you say so, I'm just sayin-" Jaune started to say before he saw a figure up ahead, in plain jeans, baggy black t-shirt and flip-flops, with a light blue coat folded over their arms. "What are you doing here?" Jaune gently freed his arm from Pyrrha's grip before walking over to the waiting figure, giving them a look.

"... Pyrrha.. um.. can you call him off or something?" Sereb said, attempting to lean back further into the wall as Jaune stared her down.

Pyrrha put a hand on Jaune's shoulder, shaking her head at the blonde. "Sereb, for what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

Sereb shrugged a bit. "Just wanted to make sure you were alright and make sure there were no hard feelings..."

"Ah, no. There are no hard feelings.. in fact, don't tell him this, but it was an enjoyable fight.. how is he? Resting I assume.. he took a lot of hits and from what I remember, lost a good amount of blood." Pyrrha hid back her surprise, she didn't expect Sereb to seek her out for something like this.

Sereb shrugged again, looking to the side cause she was bothered by Jaune staring at her. "He's fine.. as for what he's doing.. I guess stress relief would be best way to put it.. I was on my way to give him a change of clothes for when he was done."

"When he's done with what?" Jaune asked, calmed down from his earlier outburst. "And sorry bout.. you know.. I just don't like seeing my friends get hurt. Took it out on you."

"Don't worry bout it.. everyone is allowed to get angry.. as for what Ele's doing.." Sereb checked her watch before giggling quietly. "He's got his last match in a little bit. So now he's probably resting... If you want to see the match, you may want to hurry before any of the reserved spots are given away."

Pyrrha and Jaune blinked, before shouting as one. "What?!"

"He's fighting with those wounds?!"

"That guy can still fight! What kind of!? What?!"

Sereb shrugged. "That's what he's like.. Ele doesn't leave things unfinished... and he promised that he'd win."

"So he's going to fight even more people? After nearly dying yesterday?... How can he even walk..." Jaune rubbed his chin, confused and amazed, getting another shrug from Sereb, who didn't seem to like all this attention.

"Ele keeps his promises.. he always has.. I know he'll be fine. He promised me he won't do anything stupid.. so it's fine.. He's finally found the way to be a strong person... instead of a person with a lot of strength..." Sereb clutched the spare coat closer to her chest, a small smile on her face.

"Strength.. strong person? There is a difference?" Jaune asked, a bit confused.

Pyrrha chuckled, before looking at the coat in Sereb's arms. "May I?" With a small nod from Sereb, Pyrrha took the coat and turned to Jaune. "Put this on."

"Alright? Seems a bit too big for me though." Jaune slipped the coat on, feeling a bit awkward with his shoulder pads on as well, but he did as he was told. "Why am I wearing this?"

"For a demonstration.. if I'm correct, this is what allowed him to wield that sword with ease.." Pyrrha helped Jaune with the top buttons, making sure everything was in place. "Now Jaune.. just like we practised back at school. Take a breath, summon your aura up, and let it flow for a bit, and when your ready force a little bit of it into the coat. Remember to take it slow or you may injure yourself."

"Thanks Pyrrha.. I know what I'm doing.." Jaune took a breath, before he started to glow slightly. Sereb was a bit amazed, not expecting the dufus to have a lot of aura. Jaune took a moment, smiling to himself since he could feel his and Pyrrha's hard work paying off. He began to put the aura into the coat, like Pyrrha said. It was a bit harder than enhancing his weapon with aura, but was still pretty easy. "Pyrrha, I don't see wha-"

Jaune was cut off again as he fell to the floor with a thud, chest pressed against the ground and put proudly displayed in the air. He attempted to push himself up, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't move with more and more weight seeming to pile on to his back.

"Jaune! Stop with the aura. You are only going to make it heavier." Pyrrha knelt down, looking at Jaune as he finally stopped the aura flowing into the jacket.

"What the hell is this thing?!" Jaune struggled to get to his feet for a few moments, finally able to stand under all the extra weight on his shoulders and back. "It's like I'm wearing a ton of bricks!" It took him a while to find the best way to stand, so as not to topple over.

"It's a very old method of training. It's thread infused with certain mix of dust that react to aura by gaining mass. The more aura you put in it, the heavier it gets. It used to be a popular training method for mêlée fighters, but with new techniques such as the ones Ruby and Nora use, it's been phased out... Here, let the aura out of the cloth, and it'll return to normal." Pyrrha steady Jaune, as she began to undue the buttons around his neck.

Jaune rolled his shoulders once the jacket was off of him. "And he walked around in that thing?" He had to ask, looking at the blue fabric in Sereb's arms.

"Walked.. fought.. trained.. He made this outfit his combat uniform for a reason. The dress shoes and slacks are made of the same stuff.. It's amazing what three years of this can do to you..." Sereb laughed quietly to herself as she straightened the jacket. "I have gloves made from the stuff as well..."

"I see.. and why are you telling us all this?" Pyrrha asked, knowing that Sereb was working up to something.

"Simple.. to show you that this wasn't a fluke.. Ele didn't use his semblance, he didn't use Patior and Pactum. He beat you with nothing but the sword on his back and hard work.. and I hope that one day you can both fight again, with neither of you holding back. One day I hope I can challenge you as well." Sereb smiled shyly at Pyrrha.

"That sounds swell." Pyrrha smiled back.

"Good.. now I better head back.. I want a good seat to see Ele win this..." Sereb bowed her head to both members of Team Juniper before turning to leave.

Once Sereb was out of sight, Jaune let out a short whistle. "Nice kid... I'm a bit confused what she sees in Ele, but I don't really know the guy..."

"Nice indeed.. she and Ele are two of a kind though.. together those two are almost unstoppable, but by themselves... by themselves, they are still worth being cautious around... remember how Ele pulled a gun on Yang when his team was threatened?"

Jaune nodded as he and Pyrrha resumed their walk.

"Yang got lucky that she chose a teammate instead of Sereb, or Ele wouldn't have hesitated to blow her brains out and ask questions later... the same stands with Sereb. Mess with Ele, and she will end you.. and frankly.. she's the scarier one of the two..."

"She's the scarier one? No way. You've seen her. She looked like a puppy that lost their owner. Scared by all the attention." Jaune wasn't buying it. He didn't know the girl well, but he could still tell that she wasn't the most confident person around. If it wasn't for the skill she consistently showed during the tournament, he'd be reminded of himself.

"Years ago, I once asked Ele why he stuck around with Sereb so much when he avoided everyone else. His answer was simple. Sereb was the only person he like and he said he had a feeling bout her. That she had the potential to be greater than himself.. I think by now you can guess how interesting those words should be if Ele said it.."

"Really... that is kind of a scary thought.. someone stronger than Ele.. good thing we are all on the same side, right? Right?" Jaune asked, the thought of facing Ele, or more specifically the sword Yasha I Volk brought up the memories of a deathstalker, a cave and an encounter with Death that was a bit too close for his comfort.

"Yes we are all hunters. But those two, the only side they are on are each others."

* * *

Ele yawned. _Wish I'd gotten more sleep.. or I had more aura.. either would work.._ The last fight had been more troublesome than he had predicted and he was left using the hour break before the finals chewing on herbal remedies to bolster his aura as he healed his wounds for the third time today. _Apparently fear is a motivator.. who knew.. What to do now.. against the last member of team .. ruby? Think it was ruby.. that'd make three out of four.. and Sereb pulled out a win against the leader.. so guess beating.. Blake?_ Ele glanced at his scroll, to double check the info he'd had on his opponent.

_Ya.. Blake, beat Blake and we got the whole set. Lovely... wonder if the headmistress will give us a gold star..._


	37. I Ask Myself Everyday

_Damn Kitty Cat is too fast!_ Ele swore to himself as Blake ducked to the side, dodging the elbow aimed for her throat. _This would be so much easier if I didn't have to play so defensively.._

Ele brought his foot up, catching Blake's chin with the tip of his shoes, sending her into the air, before landing with ease. _Cats always land on their feet.. of course.._With the momentum of the fight back in his favor, Ele charged forward weaving through the bullets that sped past him before he closed the gap, narrowly ducking under the cleaver that seemed intent on separating his head from his body.

Taking a step to the side, Ele moved as in for a hay-maker but pulled back at the last second, his arm still out stretched to clothes line Blake. He didn't waste a breath to close his grasp around the poor girls neck, pulling her into his chest as he started to choke her out. Ele's free arm moved just as quickly to lock her weapon in place. _Note to self, once all this is done. Find a way to apologize to the faunus race in general.. Wonder if Blake likes tuna... is that racist?_

Using the last spare bit of aura he had, Ele defended against Blake's desperate attempts to get free, almost letting go when he felt her bite into his arm, and her foot narrowly miss his crotch. But eventually she started to fade and her struggle ended, allowing Ele to let her go, gently laying down the unconscious faunus. _Thank dust for professional ignorance I guess.. or I'd have been screwed..._

Finally starting to feel the exhaustion of the day catch up to him, Ele made his way over to a wall, leaning against it for support, a small smile plastered across his face. _I'll grab Yasha later... for now.. let's just.. take a breath and relax.. I think I've earned it at this point.. _

Another look at the faunus who'd managed to wear him down to a point where Pyrrha would be jealous, was all he needed to convince himself that he needed a rest. _Puppies.. I must have been very cruel to puppies in a past life since the majority of trouble in my life comes from faunus..._

"Ladies and Gentleman... in a display of tenacity fitting his reputation.. the Tyrant has finally won.. After fours years of second place and losing to the Invincible woman, Pyrrha Nikos... Ele Saphir has claimed his first title victory! Is this the start of the Tyrant's reign?! We can only wait and see!" The announcer bellowed out over the crowd.

Ele's victory over Pyrrha hadn't seemed to change their opinions of him for the better, if anything the threats and shouts for him to leave were louder than ever. But for now, Ele just ignored them as the announcer dropped a mic down to him, probably wanting a comment. He twirled the mic in his hand for a moment, thinking.

"I'm going to ask -politely- the first time. May I please have some peace and quiet..." Ele's request was quickly followed up a few short moments later, with very few people wanting to face his semblance again. He enjoyed the relative silence as he walked over to Yasha, embedded in the arena wall. _In deep.. of course.._

Ele finally spoke once he removed Yasha from he wall, looking it over for damage to the blade. _A few nicks here.. a scratch there.. I'll fix it once we get back to Atlas.. maybe.. wonder if this city has a forge I can borrow.. I'll check later.._ The crowd started to get restless again, seeing that Ele was just wasting their time.

_Might as well give them what they want..._ Ele put Yasha in its place on his back, before bringing the mic up to clear his throat. "I asked for proteges... I asked for brawlers, and people who were worth a fight... I claimed victory the moment Pyrrha fell... I guess I was asking for too much when I hoped my victory march would present something fun... Well.. Miss Belladonna aside.. she was interesting..."

"I have spent five days in this city.. and I've seen the strength of the people in this city.. the strength of Beacon.. Aegis.. Haven.. and Refuge.. I will happily wait for the day they are strong enough to challenge me.. So come! I welcome all challengers.. if you think you are strong enough to fight the Tyrant.. I will face you.. as a hunter.. not as a tournament fighter.."

Ele rolled his shoulders, feeling the muscles pull. _Need to get that checked as well.. dust.. I've really put myself through the ringer in the past few days.._ "As of today, I am retiring from all tournament fights.. so those who want a challenge.. who want to make a name for themselves.. seek me out! For I am Ele Nailah Saphir! The Tyrant who defeated the Invincible Woman! And now I desire a new challenge..."

He dropped the mic again, turning to leave to the roar of the crowd. Ele made it into the tunnel, out of sight from the crowd before he finally collapsed into Sereb's waiting arms. "That was a nice fight.. I didn't expect hand to hand combat would be what won you the tournament... I guess Yasha really was a bluff..." She said, putting Ele's arm over her shoulder.

"Thanks... sorry if I did something stupid... and no, Yasha was not a bluff.. a bluff isn't useful a projectile.. so hush it Sugar Tooth.."

"Nah... you didn't do anything too stupid. But you are not fighting or training for the next week. You are officially on vacation.."

"Really, I'm fine. Give me a couple of days an-."

"Nope. You promised me.. I'll make you stick to that promise.. so by executive order as your partner. You are getting some rest and relaxation.. Get changed, then we'll head back to the hotel to chill for a while." Sereb grinned as they arrived into the changing room she'd reserved.

"Yes Sugar Tooth... thanks by the way.. after making a speech like that.. the last thing I need is someone walking in to see me flat on the ground, struggling to leave... that'd be a sight..." They both chuckled as Ele sat down on one of the benches, looking at the gym bag next to him, and the coat on top of it. "Didn't expect you to bring this."

Sereb shut the door, giving them some privacy. "It's your coat isn't it? The sooner you get dressed, the sooner we can head back. The hotel has a pool and hot tub..."

Ele stripped down to his boxers, tossing the tattered remains of his jeans and shirt onto the bench. "Dust.. that sounds nice.. how are we on time?... Oh slacks.. how I've missed you.. and my dress shoes~ Sereb.. I could kiss you." He started to dress himself, taking his time cause everything was sore.

Sereb stood against the door, a small blush across her face as she watched him change into fresh. _No wonder he always wears loose clothes.._ She thought, looking over Ele's well toned body. Sereb just stayed quiet until he was nearly finished, with only a few buttons left to do on his coat. "I got it." She walked up, slowly fixing the buttons that were causing Ele trouble.

"Thanks.."

"Your welcome.." Sereb stood up straight as she gently pulled Ele down to meet her, before their lips touched. Ele didn't try to pull back, but instead leaned forward, pulling Sereb closer. They stood locked in place for seemingly, before Sereb had to pull away, breathless. "That.. was for... winning.."

"I'm starting to regret retiring now.." Ele said, dodging the flustered punch that Sereb had thrown at him.

"Shut up..."

"Sorry Sugar Tooth.. come on.. let's head back..."

"Alright.. you sure you can walk?"

"I'll be alright. You'd be amazed what the kiss of a pretty woman can do to a man's health."

"Shut up.."

* * *

Ele slid deeper into the water, stopping just below his nose as he let the hot water work its magic. _This would feel so much better if I didn't have to wear a shirt to cover the bandages.. guess that's tips for next time.. wonder how much one of these costs.. wonder if my winnings would be enough.. where'd I keep it.._

Getting lost in his thoughts, Ele didn't notice a tall figure slide into the hot tub with him. " Oh, Now now, you know it's rude to ignore a pretty woman Mr. Saphir." Hearing his name brought back to reality, to see a woman in her late twenties sitting across from him, with long blonde hair and a top-hat, slanted to cover her left eye.

"Headmistress.. for what do I owe the pleasure?" Ele tried to keep the surprise out of his voice for various reasons, he hadn't expected to see the headmistress in Vale of all places, and the fact she was in a rather revealing swimsuit that showed off her impressive chest didn't help him make sense of the situation. _What the dust is with the top hat though.. then again I've done similar stuff with my hat but still.. Weirdo.._

"Oh, Please Ele. Don't be so formal. I'm only here as a friend. Call me Ms. Moira or Big Sis for now." Moira smiled innocently at Ele, sending a shiver down his spine.

"I am more comfortable with Headmistress.. or Professor..." Moira's smiled didn't falter, but Ele got the meaning behind it, so he stop arguing and went with things. Something bout this women was giving the long dormant part of his brain that controlled fear an urgent wake-up call. "But since this is an informal meeting.. I'll take you up on your kind offer, Ms. Moira..."

"Oh Ele, so polite for someone with such a brutish title of Tyrant. But I do believe you've gained a new title today. Champion of the Vytal Festival, the Man who beat the Invincible Woman, and a rather interesting one. Some have began to refer to you as the Undying cause of your display with all that blood. Not exactly your most overwhelming victory. But considering your opponent. I am still impressed."

Ele brought his arms up, resting them on the cool tiled floor as he stared into the headmistress's eyes, trying to figure out her motive. "Thank you. I never thought I'd be receiving praise from Jane Moira Darling... Now if I may be so rude as to repeat myself. For what do I owe the pleasure of an 'informal' visit?"

"Oh ho... I didn't think any students would know that silly little name.. as for the visit, call me a lonely little bird, but I rarely get a chance to talk to my students with all the paper work I have to deal with, and I just so happened to see my favorite student. So is it a crime to pop in and say hello?" Moira said, pouting cutely as she crossed her arms over her chest, looking like a child told they couldn't have a cookie even though they cleared their plate of vegetables.

"No Ms. Moira, it isn't.. please forgive my suspicion, I just find it hard to believe I am your favorite as before this meeting, neither of us has spoken to each other.. and to speak freely, I find this situation.. awkward to say the least..." Ele shifted in his seat, bringing his arms back into the water.

_How long have I been in here.. barely a minute before she joined me.. damn.. can't beat a tactical retreat just yet.. the party doesn't start for a few hours either so that doesn't help.. _Ele tried to find an excuse to leave but nothing came to mind.

"Oh? How so? It's nothing more than two people enjoying the water together, but I can understand your concern. Don't worry, I won't do anything to make poor Sereb jealous." Moira gave Ele a small wink.

Ele fought down a blush, and kept quiet, not going to dignify that with a responds.

"Oh? Nothing to say? Shame." Moira pouted again, before continuing. "A thought struck me in your silence though. An offer that might interest you, My little Gem-Eyed Prince..." Moira's innocent smile returned to her face, pale blue eyes, meeting crystal blue eyes as they stared each other down.

"I politely refuse.. As things are now, I am content.." _And I am not going to listen to someone who calls me a little prince... I'm not five, I have some dignity, thank you.._

"Oh, really now? Won't even hear me out? A shame.. if you'd taken this offer, you'd make the Invincible Women look like a kid on their first day at combat school.." Moira slid around the edge off hot tub, ending up beside Ele, now shoulder to shoulder.

"You have the similar eyes to mine.. you are someone who seeks power for no other reason than to have it if you need it.. I can give you that if you listen to me.. you could be an above average hunter, working for chum or your name could go down in history as a hero..."

"... Not interested.." Ele stood up, climbing out of the water, to walk over to the chair he left his towel, draping it over his shoulder. "Headmistress... I appreciate the sentiment. A teacher wanting their student to reach their greatest professional.. but I don't care bout going down as a hero.. So long as I keep my promises, I'll be.. fine going down as a villain, if that's what history decides is my fate.."

Moira leaned against the edge of the hot tub, watching Ele quickly draw himself off. "Oh? So sure? The offer stands for as long as you are a student at my school... and beyond that.. I'm a very picky person and while you had my interest before... now you have my undivided attention.. so I can wait.. I look forward to seeing your answer.."

"I look forward to defying your expectations... I hope you enjoy the rest of the festival Moira of the Ink.." Ele left slowly, trying to hide the fact that he was effectively running away.

Moira giggled once Ele had left. "Oh, what a cute kid.. a shame I waited too long... So squirm all you want my little prince, but I know you'll come back to me... cause we are similar... oh so similar... It's almost a shame.."

**AN: Things are winding down, the tournament is over and only one thing left to do. World dominat-. The dance thing, ya. That. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed it, and see you soon for the next chapter :)**


	38. And the Answer?

_Damn... Svend talks a lot of shit.. but that medicine he makes is no joke..._Ele thought to himself as he finished getting dressed for the evening. The terrible tasting concoction that Svend had forced Ele to drink an hour ago had worked it's magic, removing the fatigue from the day, and even managed to calm him down.

_Note to self.. ask him how to make that at a later date.. it'd probably do wonders when cramming for one of Crat's tests.._ Ele grabbed the overcoat of his suit off the bed, before turning it around to look over the back. _Might be a bit much... but I've earned it.. so screw it.._

* * *

Sereb sighed quietly as she stood by the wall overlooking the dance floor. "He's late..." She complained to no one in particular as she waited for Ele to make an appearance, only to see a large figure approach her from the side. Turning her head, she blinked when she saw it was Jin.

"Look who finally decided to show up after five days of being a ghost. I hope you and the purple idiot enjoyed your rest." Sereb said, a bit of anger bleeding up into her voice, caused by worry. _What is taking him so long?..._

'Sorry, we tried to help by giving you two some alone time. Where's Boss Man anyways, getting punch?' Jin typed out onto his scroll, making a bit of small talk.

"Hasn't shown up yet for some reason..."

'Probably traffic. You look good by the way. Fa Lian?'

"Alcee picked out the dress. Phriz did the jewelry as usual." Sereb shook her head, looking down at the long, sapphire blue dress that clung closely to her form. _I could have done without the v-neck.. but apparently I know nothing bout fashion._ She was glad for the slit along the left side that allowed her to move around with ease.

'I'm sure he'll love it.' Jin grinned.

"I'd tell you to shut up.. but that wouldn't work.."

'Low blow, low blow.' The mute typed out before slowly shaking his head.

"Sorry, just.. nervous... didn't you have a date? Where'd she go?" Sereb asked, remembering that she'd seen him with someone earlier, a girl a bit taller than her with amber hair if she wasn't mistaken.

'Said she was freshening up. So I thought I'd say hi.'

"We going to meet her? Or is this like your weekly disappearances and we'll find out later."

'Don't worry, you'll meet her eventually.' Jin gently pat Sereb's shoulder. 'She should be done by now, so I'll catch up with you later. Have a good night Sereb :)' Jin left as suddenly as he had appeared, carefully making his way through the crowd.

"Geez.. always so many secrets with that guy... I might just pay Rozene to follow him the next time he dissappears to just to find out what he's up to.." _Might not even have to pay.. Rozene might do it just to get a laugh if it turns out to be embarrassing.._ Sereb chuckled, wondering what would be so embarrassing that Jin would hide it from his team, until she was interrupted by someone tapping her on the shoulder.

"Excuse me, you are Miss Sereb Zakon, correct?" said a rabbit faunus woman in staff attire. It took Sereb a moment, but she remembered seeing her as one of the tournaments many organizers.

"Yes? I am. Why?" Sereb asked, eyebrow raised at the odd question. _Well then again.. a wolf faunus with silver hair isn't exactly a rarity when you look at the figures.._

"You are the champions date, correct? I was asked to bring you to him." The woman took Sereb's hand and began to lead her around the edge of Beacon's giant ballroom.

"Wait, why? Is he hurt? Is Ele alright? What happened?!" Sereb's response caused the staff worker to pause for a second, looking at Sereb like she was an idiot.

"He's fine... I don't know bout Atlas but people don't get attacked in the streets in Vale.. It's just tradition that when the victor of the tournament arrives to the ball they are welcomed by the headmaster and given that years trophy. Usually the victor's date accompanies them.."

"Oh, okay.. whew.." Sereb sighed in relief, but the attendant didn't move after seeing the sigh.

"Just to let you know, it's not mandatory that you go up there. I know you were a competitor as well."

"P-pardon?"

"You gave up in the quarter-finals right? If you are embarrassed you won't be forced to go up there. You two wouldn't be the first or last couple that took part in the tournament, where one won and the other lost. Just let me know, and I'll tell them to go ahead without you."

"Ah.. well.. I'm fine. I was just happy Ele's alright. As for the surrender.. let people think of that what they will. I don't need to prove anything to them." Sereb said, getting a smile from the faunus woman before they resumed their walk.

Eventually Sereb was lead to a room across the hallway from the ballroom, and told to wait in there with Ele until another staff member came and got them. Sereb nodded and went in, a bit surprised by the sight she saw before her.

"I thought red wasn't your colour.." She teased, looking over the new sigil that was proudly embroidered on the back of Ele's black suit in a deep crimson colour. The sigil was a simple four point crown, with the outer points drawn to look like animal ears. Sereb blushed a bit, wondering if she was reading too much into the alterations. _He finally got rid of the chains.. and no hat?_

Ele turned around to smile at Sereb, the colour of his dress shirt a similar crimson to the thread on his back, with a silver tie to finish things off. His head was noticeably bare of head-ware and with no place to hide he let the midnight blue hair fall just above his eyes in a wavy mess.

"It isn't, but I love it anyways. You look.. just.. wow.." Ele said, taking a good look in the stunning dress, but what caught his attention was her hair. The silver locks woven into a simple pony tail, before being split in half to have strands drape over her shoulders, the ends of the hair tied around a familiar set of rings.

Sereb looked at the floor with a small blush as Ele came forward, picking up Pactum in his palm. "Was going to retire these things anyways.. they suit you.."

"Thanks... feeling better?"

"More or less, Svend's treatment could probably choke out a Ursa by smell alone but they are good enough to revive the body after."

"Heh... Yes, it does. The taste alone is motivation to not get injured. I hope you've learned your lesson." Sereb poked Ele's chest.

"Don't worry, I have.. still.. This trophy thing is a bit much.. I hope I don't need to give a speech, or I'll have to act like a jerk all night."

"Could always just be yourself instead of the Tyrant?"

"Just might.. we'll see.."

The two continued chatting for the few minutes they had to wait before another attendant knocked on the door, leading them down the hallway to another set of doors. Sereb could hear someone speaking through the walls, but couldn't pick out the exact words. _Guess it's a speech or something..._

The pair stood in silence as they were given a brief rundown of what they were to do, which boiled down to walk onto the stage, stop in front of Headmaster Ozpin, and take the trophy after a small speech from the headmaster.

Ele shrugged once the orders were given, as he waited for the signal for him to make his entrance. Eventually his eyes shifted to Sereb who looked bored and slightly impatient. He didn't say a word as he nudged her hand with his, giving her a small smile before taking her hand into his.

Sereb smiled back, giving Ele's hand a small squeeze as she leaned against his shoulder. "I'll be happy to be back in Atlas.. I kind of miss school.."

"You and me both Sugar Tooth... you and me both... Hey Sereb.."

"Hm? Yes?"

"Thanks.. for everything.." Ele gently brushed aside the hair on Sereb's shoulder, to kiss her cheek.

* * *

"Hmph. I was certain that Miss Nikos would be successful this year. She has the blood of a true huntsman in her. Not this Saphir fellow. Much too crude." Port thought out loud, getting only a look from Glynda and a grunt from Ozpin as the man took a drink from his mug.

"Crude as he may be, his victory.. as.. controversial.. as it was, was still legitimate. His aura did not drop below thirty percent during the match, neither was there reason to deem him unfit for combat. A lose by technicality would have caused more trouble than it was worth... especially once it became clear to everyone watching that Pyrrha was going to lose." Ozpin said flatly as he brought his mug down to waist level.

"Anyways, I believe his presence has been a positive influence on the students... as you should know Professor Port, having a common enemy is good for moral... It takes a special kind of person to willingly accept that much hate directed at them. I don't believe our students were so adamant about training until they were called out for being weak.. So let us wait, and see.."

A sly grin spread across Ozpin's face as he watched the students on the ball room, most taking advantage of night to dance, while a few remained around the edges of room, chatting with friends. It was moments of peace like this that reminded him why he'd taken the position of headmaster.

Ozpin only watched, happy to stay back and enjoy the scenery as Port and Glynda were called away to deal with the variety of issues and situations that always came up. He stood listening to the music as a figure walked up behind him, as if they appeared from thin air.

"Oh Ozpin. You are going to get wrinkles if all you do is stand and watch. Why not join the kiddies? I'm sure Glynda wouldn't say no. So go enjoy the dance Ozzy. You deserve to relax a bit, after all, the headmaster of Beacon rarely sleeps." Moira grinned, draping her arms over Ozpin's shoulders as she whispered in his ears.

"A pleasure as always to see you Jane. How is Atlas treating you? I hope Crat isn't being a bother." Ozpin didn't react at all to the strange greeting, instead he just welcomed her with his usual tone of voice.

"Oh no, Crat is just fine. We've finally started to get along, I think. Vale is a lovely city you know, always so bright and everyone is so cheery. I just love it here. Wanna trade Ozzy? You can teach in Atlas with Crat, and I'll relax here." Moira let go of Ozpin, to stand in front of him in her usual grey suit and top hat. As she passed, she'd managed to swipe Ozpin's cane from his hands. She twirled the cane in her left hand as she smiled at the headmaster.

"I do not believe Glynda would approve of me leaving her in your care. So I do apologize, but I'll be staying at Beacon for the foreseeable future. I also find it unlikely that Vale wouldn't be as tolerant of you or your research, as Atlas is."

"Oh Ozzy, such a bummer, as always. Always talking about work. You'll be happy to know my work coming along nicely though. I'm almost ready to start the testing.. But! That is not why I'm here. I just came to say hi after all, and to tell you a secret." Moira struck a pose, poking Ozpin's shoulders with his own cane as if it was a rapier.

Ozpin just took another sip from his mug, obviously not caring what she had to say, so Moira kept talking of course. "Oh, I think I'm in love Ozzy. I got a toy awhile ago, and planned on playing with him for my research, but imagine to my surprise when it turned out to be a real boy and turned me down! Now I got to play catch up, and that sucks. Poor me."

"Poor him you mean..." Ozpin said in a strained tone, as Moira's taunts started to sink in slightly. "Be careful though. Atlas keeps you around only because your dust forsaken research, might, be helpful to them.. but you walk a thin line Jane. Abduction and forced human testing might finally convince Atlas to treat you like the criminal you are, and frankly I would enjoy watching you finally be locked away for good."

"Oh Ozzy, you never listen. Do you? I'm simply going to wait, and let my toy come back to me. After all, I wouldn't want to break it. So don't worry. I won't do anything too naughty.. not that it really matters. After all, I walk a thin line, Ozzy. And until I cross it, you can't stop me." Moira shot a wicked grin at Ozpin, giving the cane one last twirl before holding it at both ends.

"Mm.." Ozpin grunted, meeting the women's gaze to stare her down, but that was going nowhere quickly. _If she thinks she can take one of my students, for those experiments of her's she... of course... she doesn't need any of my students... damn it.. I should have pushed harder at the time.. _"Mr. Saphir isn't the type to come grovelling for power... He's too proud for that."

"Oh no, you are right. He is the proud type, but that's what I'm counting on. His pride is what'll bring him to me. I've gotten the chance to watch him, you haven't. So my dear Ozzy, I do say me and you are no longer playing chess. I won with a simple pawn you let slip through, so I could turn it into a queen. Now, now we are playing my game, and the deck is stacked in my favor."

"Hmmph.." Was all Ozpin had to saw as his mind started to plan out ways to stop her from ruining the poor boy.

"Oh fine, don't want to talk? I'll be going then.. Ozzy, it's been a fun as always. And one last thing before I go." Moira took a step forward, looking into the older man's brown eyes, with that sickeningly sweet smile. "You've always said that victory is in the simpler things, no? And is there anything simpler than the strength of a pure hearted soul." Her claim was punctuated with a loud crack as she snapped Ozpin's cane in half, tossing the remains at his feet before she seemed to disappear into the crowd, the image of her smile hanging in Ozpin's mind even after she left.

"Tch.." Ozpin looked at what was left of his cane. _It's situations like this is why I have a spare.. but still..._ He kicked the handle. _This is unacceptable..First the business with Torchwick.. and now this.._

The students cleared the space around Ozpin, seeing his anger bubble up to the surface before Glynda came jogging over to see the mess on the ground, and the mood of her colleague. "Professor Ozpin, is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine Glynda.. everything is fine... there have just been.. some minor complications is all.."

* * *

_Tomorrow we can enjoy the festival... shame we only get one day.. but still! This will be great, we finally get a chance to do stuff with everyone..._ Sereb thought to herself as she came out of the hotel bathroom, changed into the flannel pajama's she brought on the trip. Aside from the couple of times she and Ele had stepped on each others feet, the dance had been great once the needless ceremony had gotten out-of-the-way.

Sereb stuffed away her clothes, seeing that Phriz and Jin were either late or not planning on returning to the room tonight from their untouched beds. _Idiots.. do they not know how hard it was to find a hotel room with four separate beds... _The thought of the unused beds brought up memories of early today, where she'd slept in the same bed as Ele.

_No, it was the only choice. It was early in the mornin- _Her thoughts began to justify her actions, as she turned a deep red. Sereb began to fumble around with the clothes in her suitcase nervously as her thoughts spiralled out of control.

"Having issues Sugar Tooth?" Ele called out from his bed, looking up from the book he'd been reading throughout the trip, writing one last note in the margins. _Heh.. Without a filter, a man is just chaos walking?.. Sad how true that is.._ Ele put the book and pen onto the nearby nightstand, before kicking off the sheets to sit on the edge of his bed, looking at Sereb with concern.

"I'm fine, really.. just that.. um.. cough.." Sereb didn't turn around, not wanting Ele to see her crimson cheeks.

"Did you just say 'cough'?" Ele chuckled, fixing the collar of the grey undershirt that he'd taken to wearing on this trip because the room always felt cold. Sereb knew he was also wearing a bright blue pair of cookie grim boxer's but she suppressed that thought as well as she started to calm herself down.

"No.. did not.."

"Yes, you did."

"Did not..."

"What are you, twelve? Come on, we promised Freesia that we'd be up early tomorrow for breakfast, and I don't know bout you, I could use some sleep after that everything that's happened today..." Ele covered his mouth as he yawned.

"Ah, yes, that's true... we did promise that.." Sereb managed to calm herself down finally, leaving only a bit of pink in her cheeks. Sereb stood up, to lay down on her bed, turning off the lamp as she pulled the covers over her. "Night Ele.."

"Night Sereb." Ele got out of his bed, walking over to where Jin and Phriz would have slept, to pick up their pillows before carrying them back, setting them up in a quick pile before flopping down into the fluffy mess.

Sereb shook her head with a giggle. "Want some blankets with all those pillows?" Ele's response couldn't be heard from under the mound of pillows so she decided it was time to sleep.

Sereb didn't know how long she tried to fall asleep, staring at the ceiling as she tried to get comfortable, but eventually she gave up. _Might have to pull an all-nighter, and sleep tomorrow to catch back up.. unless.. _"Ele.. you awake.." She said quietly, most of the pillows having been tossed off the bed in her partners own quest for sleep.

"I am now.. what's up?"

"Can.. I um.. these beds are too soft..."

"I know...? Just.. count sheep or something, and you'll fall asleep."

"Actually... I was wondering well.. if you don't mind.."

"Hm?"

"Can.. I sleep with you?" Sereb asked, remembering how comfortable it felt to sleep with his arms around her.

"Um... I won't say no? You sure?" He had to ask, a bit of embarrassment creeping into his voice.

"Yes, I'm sure." Sereb didn't give herself time to start getting embarrassed as she slipped under the covers with Ele, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Thanks..."

"Not a problem... um.. you sure bout this?"

"Yes.. I am.. I'm your partner after all.. when hunting Grimm.. and.. well.. when not hunting Grimm.."

"I'm happy with that."

"Ele?"

"Sereb?"

"I love you.." Sereb kissed Ele's cheek once she finally got comfortable, and started to drift of into sleep.

"I love you too Sereb." _Worth it.. it's all been worth it.._

**AN: Well this was a thing. Thanks to everyone for reading. There shall be more eventually, but I thought I might as well break things up into smaller bits. Just a warning, eventually I'll get around to reformatting the beginning chapters and doing some minor changes, but don't worry. Won't be anything big, at most it might just be grammar and spacing. Thanks again to everyone who read the series. I hope you all have an enjoyable summer**


End file.
